


The Girl on the Streets

by StarsAndCrows



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ Themes, Love, Multi, Pop Culture, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:50:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 110,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarsAndCrows/pseuds/StarsAndCrows
Summary: Uchiha Itachi is a rich, pretty, seventeen-year-old boy, who meets the girl on the streets by pure chance. AH. OOC.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 145
Kudos: 152





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What you can expect from this story: Teenagers blundering in the dark. The story is divided into two parts, with 10 chapters that constitute the first of it. It follows Itachi's journey primarily.
> 
> Pairing: ItaSaku, NaruSasu.
> 
> WARNINGS: Mentions of suicide and abuse. This story is not dark dark, but it is intense and serious. A smattering of smut. Deals with some controversial topics of today. However, not everything is so bleak, I promise. :)

Itachi is standing on the curb, waiting for Kakashi to pull the car around. He takes out his phone from the front pocket of his school pants to check the time, before remembering that he's wearing the watch his parents gifted him just one month back – his seventeenth birthday present. But since he's already pulled out his phone, he decides to check the messages. The time blinks to 7.12 PM.

His group chat is exploding with texts. Even as he reads the latest message from Kisame, Konan has replied, and then it's Yahiko, then Kisame again, and the text alert box keeps vibrating and popping, as though giving birth to more textboxes through the process of mitosis.

Below, there are texts from Izumi. He opens them.

**You must be in piano class, but can we talk after you get done?**

**It's important.**

**Don't ignore me.**

**Itachi, it's 7! I know your class is over. Text me back.**

Itachi groans loudly, just as Kakashi honks the car. Swiping right on his phone, he manoeuvres into the backseat, shuts the door, and tells Kakashi to play _Fur Elise_ on the speakers already.

_Just saw your text. What's up?_

The reply is instant.

**Don't believe the rumours. Please. I swear nothing happened.**

Feeling heavily confused, Itachi finally pays attention to his exploding group chat when the next banner alert is Nagato's _he should break up_.

There are 54 freaking messages on the group. Itachi mentally prepares himself – he's _exhausted_ – and clicks on the group name _The Chamber of Secrets_. It was Nagato's idea. He's the Harry Potter of the lot but loves to respond to the name Lord Voldemort. Nice kid.

The app blinks to the very first message since Itachi was last on the group, like an ever efficient Dobby. The sad part is that Nagato got everyone hooked on the series, and now they keep referring themselves with the insane variety of character names available at their disposal.

No, they are not Harry Potter nerds, thank you very much. That's only Nagato. The others are his Lucius Malfoys – the ones who kinda sorta want to get out but it's too late now because your wand is gone and your son is having a moral crisis, and your wife doesn't deserve a piece of shit like you.

Itachi goes through the gist because Dobby has the weirdest way – and the _longest freaking way in the history of ways_ – to get to the _point already, Jesus._ But essentially, Kisame found out that Izumi screwed a guy over the weekend. Izumi, his girlfriend. The same Izumi who texted him _I swear nothing happened_.

Now, here's the thing: Itachi has been friends with this lot, his other Lucius Malfoys, for a long time. In fact, he grew up with them. Kisame, Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, and Zetsu. They became friends when they were practically in diapers. Izumi entered the picture when Itachi hit puberty, and their school became the breeding grounds for the homo sapiens sapiens.

Itachi is under no delusion. He knows that Izumi became his friend with ulterior motives. The thing is, he can't blame her. That's just the way everyone is. It's just the way things are. You become sexually attracted to a person, and you put everything you've got to get them laid. With Izumi, she succeeded.

Uchiha Itachi is a pretty boy and he knows it.

Izumi screwing another guy while being his girlfriend … he thinks that maybe it should, at the very least, bruise his ego. Because whoever that other idiot is, he is definitely not better than Itachi. And if Izumi thought it was a wonderful idea to screw him, more power to her. Itachi knows that she'll come crawling back to him, anyway.

He adds his own two thoughts to the group. _Forget it. Doesn't matter._

**Kisame: LOL.**

**Yahiko: Are you sure?**

**Nagato: You should break up with her.**

**Konan: Why should he? It's not like Itachi is heartbroken or anything.**

**Kisame: He definitely isn't.**

**Nagato: She cheated.**

**Zetsu: You guys are jobless. It's not a big deal. She fucked someone. Get over it.**

Moreover, Izumi has already kinda sorta come back. So Itachi doesn't care.

**Itachi: Listen to Zets. Zets is Zen.**

**Zetsu: Fuck off, Weasel. But yes. Listen to me.**

Itachi clicks back from the group chat and opens Izumi's.

**Are you there?**

**I can see you online.**

**Are you mad? Nothing happened! I swear.**

Itachi types back: _Cool. See you tomorrow at school._

**I knew you'd believe me! I'll miss you tonight. See ya! Ily xxx**

_You better._

And Itachi locks the phone, rests his head back on the plush cushion of the seat, shuts his eyes, and sighs as _Swan Lake_ now belts through the speakers.

* * *

Sasuke is sitting on Itachi's bed later that night, after their family dinner. It's his routine. Sasuke still can't sleep if he doesn't spend some time with Itachi before bed. He hasn't been able to shake off the habit even today. Itachi and Sasuke shared a bedroom until they both turned twelve, and then their parents decided that puberty requires privacy – even for fraternal twin boys.

Itachi ignores the _fraternal twin_ part of it, because Sasuke was born ten minutes after him, and is, and always will be his _baby brother_.

So he listens to Sasuke rant about his karate lesson of that day, and how – again – Namikaze Naruto picked a fight with him and how much Sasuke would love to punch his face in for real.

The Namikaze kid attends the same school as them, for that matter, but Sasuke has the misfortune of tolerating him even out of school during his karate class. Itachi doesn't hate the kid, he really doesn't. Itachi just doesn't give a shit about him. The Namikaze kid got in through a scholarship when they entered their high school years, in his cheap quality of uniform, scarred cheeks, a short-fuse. He was the Weasley of their Lucius Malfoys.

Sasuke, on the other hand, is Draco Malfoy, so to speak. He loves to fight with the kid every chance that he gets, and then complains about the whole event. And as a dedicated Lucius Malfoy, Itachi listens to him and then reminds him to focus on studying and not blonde, blue-eyed little demons.

This has been Itachi's entire life in a nutshell. He was born to wealthy parents, attends a school for the wealthy kids, has a twin baby brother, and his group of five childhood friends. He's always lived in the cream layer of the elite, and he loves it. The money, the power, the status, all of it. And it's not as though he's a useless piece of shit, either. Itachi knows that he's smart – everyone in their school is, you have to be smart because the competition around you is so feverish, it runs you dry – and he's been taking piano and dance lessons since he was four. He comes from a good genetic pool, too. He has Kakashi, the same way Sasuke has Kimimaro.

So who cares if his girlfriend cheated on him with some moron? He's Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

And then all goes to shit on one bleak Tuesday evening, after his dance lesson.

Itachi is on the curb, waiting for Kakashi to pull the car around. He's still sweaty in his comfortable pants and a loose T-shirt. The dance instructor, Utakata, made him hang back for two minutes because he wants Itachi to enrol in the upcoming competition, and by the time that conversation is over, all the showers were hogged and Itachi refuses to use the space after the others are done with it. He really would much rather stew in his own sweat through an entire car ride home and then soak in his bath for an inordinate amount of time to compensate for the utter shittiness of the whole thing.

Maybe play some _Clair de Lune_ in the background, as well.

He has his phone in his hands, scrolling through his social media feed when it's suddenly snatched away by force. Itachi yelps with shock, spinning on his heels to follow the thief, even before it registers in his mind that he can just buy another stupid phone on his way home.

But now he's staring at the thief's back as it begins to disappear through the pedestrian crowd, and Itachi has seen enough movies to know that he can do this –

"Thief!" he calls out loudly, pointing at said man. "Catch him! He's stolen my phone!"

There's a ruckus, and someone down the street, invisible to him because the thief has squeezed himself through moving bodies, a female hand rises in the air, calling Itachi towards it like a beacon.

He pushes his way to find a young girl, around the same age as him, clutching at his phone as though she's never held one in her life. To be honest, Itachi thinks that that's probably true.

The girl is wearing a worn out, old, heavily tattered pair of pants and a T-shirt. Her hair is the strangest colour of soft pink, greasy and matted and dirty. There are muddy stains on her cheeks and hands, and Itachi is sure that he's going to catch some disease from this homeless girl. Even her footwear is almost ripped in two.

As Itachi nears her, a passing car's headlights hit her face. The paleness of her skin under all that grime shines brighter than ever and her eyes are thrown in stark relief. They're green, apple green to be precise, and they're hard and flat and burning all at the same time. Itachi has never known before that eyes could be so … passionate. If Sasuke were to be here, he would have requested to paint them.

But Itachi is _not_ Sasuke. He is _Itachi_ , and his worry over catching a disease overpowers the alluring eyes of the homeless.

"This yours?" she calls out when he's two feet away, extending the phone towards him.

"Yes," he replies and opens his right palm for her.

She drops the phone on it. "You should be more careful. That thing must be costing thousands."

Itachi eyes her wearily. "I know. It doesn't matter."

One pink eyebrow raises in mock. "Right, Pretty Boy. My bad. Maybe I should have kept it, in that case."

Itachi narrows his eyes at the tone. "If you're expecting me to thank you, then that attitude will not take you anywhere."

The girl suddenly throws her head back and laughs loudly. "Why, Your Majesty, should I kneel and ask for forgiveness?"

He isn't liking this one bit. "Who am I to stop you? Go ahead. I might throw in some money, too."

Her amusement is wiped off in an instant. Her eyes harden and they're burning trees in melting snow. She's furious. Itachi gulps lightly. He is no good if she hits him. He's horrible in fights. He has Sasuke for such things.

But her sassiness is rubbing him off in such a wrong way that he just can't hold it back. The way she called him _Pretty Boy_ is nothing like what he's used to. She made it sound like a liability and not the asset that it is. As though, being pretty is his weakness for some reason.

"Fuck off," she snarls. "I don't want your stinking money. I could have easily not given you the phone, you know."

"As I said, that attitude will not take you anywhere."

Now she's laughing incredulously in his face. "Wow. You're one piece of shit. I should have let that guy get away. He could have had some decent dinners out of it."

"Of course, you'd think like your fellow peers," Itachi says snidely. "Is that what you do, too? Steal things to earn money?"

She smiles sarcastically. "Yep. You have me all figured out. Have a good night, Pretty Boy."

She turns around and leaves, disappearing through the crowd. Itachi puts the whole encounter out of his head the moment he sinks into his bathtub later that evening.

* * *

When Itachi sees the girl two weeks later in his school parking lot, he stomps right up to her to snarl in her face.

"Are you following me now?"

The girl is wearing a dirty black coat today over her clothes. The shoes are the same, now in worse condition. Her hair is tied up in a high ponytail, and she's glaring at him with the same fire.

"You wish," she says with a scowl.

The students around him are shooting him odd looks because _what is Uchiha Itachi doing, speaking with a homeless girl?_

"So what? You happen to find my school?" he demands, crossing his hands over his chest.

"If you must know, you asshole, your cafeteria gives out free leftover food. I've been coming here for weeks now."

Sasuke joins him, clapping him on his back, frowning at the girl. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Itachi says smoothly. "School doing charity work."

"Why are you … talking with … charity, then?"

The girl glares even harder, and Itachi isn't worried this time, because Sasuke is here and Sasuke is the one who takes karate classes. Besides, this is Itachi's territory, so to speak. He's sure that the girl won't pull off anything stupid right in his school parking lot with all the students present.

"You guys have heads bigger than your expensive cars," she comments snarkily. "Don't you have anything better to do than stand here and mock me?"

Itachi glowers. "Whatever. Eat your leftover food. That's the best you can do."

She looks ready to hit him now. In fact, she even cocks her fist back but Sasuke is already taking a step forward in defence and a third hand shoots out of the air to hold her arm back.

It's the Namikaze kid, staring between the three of them, and coming to a stand beside the girl.

"I'm Naruto," he tells her kindly. "I wouldn't suggest doing that. It won't end well for you."

The girl lowers her fist. "Who are you? Their bodyguard?"

Sasuke snorts at the idea. "As if."

Naruto ignores him. "No. But I've been in this school for a while now. These are all kids who love to peck their parents, their rich parents who can crush you in an instant. They'll disallow you to ever enter the grounds again."

"Yeah?" the girl challenges. "And your parents won't?"

Naruto grins. "Nope. They own a bookstore. Hardly worth millions."

The girl stares at him for a few moments. "I'd say it is."

"If you're done bonding over your lack of money," Itachi says dryly, "may I suggest that you take this party someplace else? Maybe the Namikaze will join you for dinner."

"Maybe I will," Naruto retorts, then turns to the girl again. "What's your name? I honestly don't mind joining you, if you want some company."

The girl smiles at him. "I'm Sakura."

Itachi and Sasuke watch them approach the grounds, now speaking freely, and the last of the students parting like the Red Sea for the pair. Sasuke immediately questions him on the matter and Itachi tells him the incident when the girl got the phone back from the thief.

"And you didn't thank her?" Sasuke asks with disbelief. "I thought she was troubling you or something."

"You should have heard her," Itachi insists.

"She got your phone back, man," Sasuke shakes his head and they start making their way to where Kakashi and Kimimaro are waiting with their respective cars. "Anyway, I'll see you at home."

"You're my guardian, you know," Itachi reminds Kakashi as soon as he settles in the backseat. "Shouldn't you have come running earlier there?"

Kakashi throws him a flat look through the rear-view mirror. "What? You mean, come save you from a kid?"

"Save me from potential harm," Itachi corrects him.

"From a kid?"

"You don't know her," Itachi says wisely. "She definitely would have hit me."

"Then don't do anything to warrant a hit," Kakashi advises him.

"You're a shitty guardian. Play some flute today. I feel flute."

"Roger that, Sir," and _Le Merle Noir_ drifts through the speakers.

* * *

Now that the girl has made him aware that she's been coming after his school hours for weeks, Itachi finds himself searching through the crowd, almost absently, to see if she'll get her dinner that day or not.

He doesn't care, per se. But he can't ignore it, either. It's a newfound established fact of his life – that Sakura visits his school for the leftover cafeteria food – and he is aware of it.

The worst is that he has begun to notice that little chart the cafeteria puts up behind their money counter. It has the school name and logo, and below it reads –

_Date: ______

_Leftover food: _____ kg_

_Fed _____ no. of people_

Itachi had never bothered seeing that before in his life. Now he wonders whether the _34_ people who were fed the previous day includes the girl or not.

Over the course of the week, he sees the girl thrice. And all three times, the Namikaze kid approaches her as though they're friends now. _Birds of same feathers, flock together_ , he reminds himself and dismisses the pair, only to search the next day for her presence.

The thing is, Itachi is used to having girls who admire him, who want to be in his company. They don't snarl in his face wearing tattered clothes. Even Konan, his childhood friend, has hit on him a few times out of jest. That's why he finds this rather … strange of a behaviour. The girl is actually laughing with the Namikaze kid but hates Itachi's guts.

So when Izumi hangs by his arm every day in the school parking lot, before she leaves with her own driver, Itachi finds himself snogging the lights out of her. Let the world see that Uchiha Itachi is desired and can have any girl he wants because he's rich, pretty, and smart. And these traits are assets, not liabilities.

One day, when he has Izumi pinned against her car, someone clears their throat in the vicinity. Itachi kisses with more fervour before pulling back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

It's Kisame and Nagato, both wearing highly amused expressions.

"What?"

"If you can stop sucking her face," Kisame grins sharply, "we have to plan the weekend."

Izumi hooks her elbow with Itachi's. "Let's go for a road trip!"

Nagato eyes her wearily. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"We can go check out my uncle's new club? He's been inviting us over for so long now," Itachi suggests.

"That's much better," Nagato concedes. "What about Sasuke and his little gang?"

Sasuke has only two friends: Hyuuga Hinata and Hozuki Suigetsu, both of whom are poles apart from each other. Hinata is the epitome of a well-mannered, rich doll while Suigetsu could be mistaken for Kisame's brother with the crude language and incessant need to have drunken sex. Itachi and Sasuke's social circles are different for a reason. Itachi can only handle one Kisame at a time, and Sasuke has no interest in any of Itachi's Chamber of Secrets' Lucius Malfoys.

"I'll ask him," Itachi promises them. "Although, I highly doubt he'd want to come. He still doesn't let me forget when Yahiko tried to kiss him."

"Your brother needs to get laid," Kisame rolls his eyes. "If he keeps hanging out with the likes of the Hyuuga chick, though, that's never going to happen. That girl gives _me_ self-esteem issues."

All the students love to hate Hinata simply because she has this beauty to her that no amount of plastic surgery, make-up, or "keeping it real" will ever compare to it. Itachi has this inkling that she's friends with Sasuke only because he's gay, and therefore, will never be interested in her romantically.

"Suigetsu is very cute," Izumi adds in. "I think everyone just backs off because they assume Sasuke is dating him."

"If Sasuke ever dates anyone, it definitely won't be Suigetsu," Itachi says firmly.

" _You_ don't want it to be Suigetsu," Nagato says. "I doubt you'd ever want him to date anyone."

"Whatever. I'll ask him about the club, but chances are that he's going to refuse."

Kisame and Nagato leave soon after; Itachi makes out some more with Izumi before sending her on her own way. He's searching for Kakashi and Sasuke in the crowd when he sees the girl – Sakura – entering the grounds, followed by three boys that Itachi has never seen her talking to before. She only really talks with the Namikaze kid, who, by the way, is nowhere to be seen.

Itachi frowns and searches for a bit for the blonde kid. He was in class today. Maybe he left early for whatever reason. Without really thinking through it, Itachi makes his way carefully in the direction that he's seen the kids go.

When he turns a corner, he pauses in surprise at the scene before him. One of the people is holding up Sakura by her armpits, and the other two are trying not to let her struggling legs kick them accidentally. She's not screaming, but she's furious, and she doesn't stand still even for a second.

Itachi quickly ducks around the wall and pulls out his phone. Sasuke answers immediately.

"Where are you?" Sasuke asks as greeting. "I just came out."

"Sasuke, come to the grounds," Itachi says hurriedly. "I need help."

"What?" Sasuke says, startled. "Wait. I'm coming right away."

Itachi stays hidden until Sasuke reaches him.

"What happened?"

Itachi jabs his thumb over his shoulder. "Look there."

Sasuke peeks. "Oh shit. We should call someone."

"I called you."

Sasuke stares at Itachi for a bit, and then he's hurrying towards the group without another word. Itachi mutely follows. When the boys notice the two brothers approach them, they stop trying to get near Sakura – mostly in surprise, but the girl is still struggling away.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke snaps at them. "Leave her be!"

"This bitch needs to know her place," one of them says coolly. "You guys want in?"

Sasuke looks nearly beside himself with rage. "I'll call someone over if you don't run right now."

"What's the matter, Uchiha?" the boy holding her smirks. "You got sick of dicks?"

"Watch your mouth," Itachi says dangerously. "If you know what's good for you, I suggest leaving the girl alone and walking away. Or else, we can do this the hard way. You keep this stupidity and frankly, unnecessary charade up and your family will join the girl on the streets before the sun rises tomorrow. And if you ever say anything to Sasuke again, I won't think twice next time."

There's a moment of silence. Eventually, the boys exchange a look, come to an unspoken decision that this is just not worth it anymore, and leave them alone.

The girl fidgets with her fingers, unable to look at them. To be honest, Itachi finds it difficult to do the same.

"Thank you," she finally says. "I mean, I could have taken them down if there were only two of them. But. Well. Anyway. Thanks."

"You got his phone back," Sasuke says nicely. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay," she shrugs, fidgets some more, stares at the ground. "Is Naruto not here today?"

Itachi frowns. "Must have left early."

"Right. I'll go, then."

She walks away from them with her shoulders slumped, and Itachi realises that he doesn't like it. She's the girl with eyes of green fire.

But he gets over it by the time his head hits the pillow later that night.

* * *

Only to wonder what the girl must be doing for weekends when the school is shut, while he eats his own lunch on Saturday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to put up the disclaimer, so here it is: The characters do not belong to me, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto, the awesome creator of Naruto-verse. There are many pop culture references throughout, so they belong to the respective creators. The plot, however, is original.

Itachi’s paternal uncle is a young man in his late twenties with cropped dark brown hair, dark eyes, a boyish grin, and goes by the name Obito. He’s always wearing three-piece suits. Itachi has never seen him without one recently.

When they enter the club _Kamui_ , Obito comes striding in a pale blue suit with a black shirt underneath and a striped tie, extending his hand to shake.

“You boys finally decided to make it,” Obito beams. “Konan and Izumi, you two as well, of course. Come on. I booked a private room for you. Can’t have serving alcohol to underage kids now, can I?”

It’s a penthouse on one of the tallest buildings in the city, with outdoor rooftop seating, open dance floor, a wide bar table smack dab in the middle of the place. The private rooms are built to the right – ten rooms holding one large table and fifteen chairs each.

“For private meetings, originally,” Obito explains as they meander through the crowd. “We get a huge corporate crowd, you see. They love to have their meetings here because they can just pop onto the dance floor whenever they want, have drinks, smoke. Business deals require a certain level of privacy, after all.” He opens one of the rooms that’s labelled PR6, and holds the door open for them. “I’ve appointed one waiter for you – Hidan, and he’ll serve you whatever you want. I’ll send him right in. All set?”

Itachi looks around the room. It’s a small space with a simple design. He begins to think that maybe these rooms are not the best idea to experience a “club night”, but Obito moves to one corner and starts switching on various buttons.

“Soundproofed, of course. Set the mood however you want,” he grins as he explains the different light settings. He moves on to the songs and there’s a setting where they can plug into the DJ console to hear whatever the rest of the club is hearing. There’s an option to plug in their phones, if they want, as well. He points towards the menu cards kept in the centre of the table and leaves with one final promise to send in Hidan soon.

“Not bad,” Itachi comments. Three walls of the room are solid, but the fourth one is entirely made of clear glass. They can see the whole city laid out below them, twinkling with dotted lights. The ceiling of the room is glass, as well, and Itachi thinks that maybe he wouldn’t mind bringing a bed in here next time.

The others have already taken their seats. Izumi is patting the chair beside her. Itachi sits down.

Kisame decides to take over the music. He starts with a Drake song that has Itachi mentally wincing. He tries to ignore it as much as possible, like always – he hates Drake, and focuses on Izumi and the discussion of their drinks and food orders.

“Can we smoke in here?” Yahiko asks Itachi.

“Yeah, I think so. Let’s just ask that Hidan guy when he comes in, though.”

“I want to smoke now,” Yahiko complains. He has his cigarette packet on the table with his usual green lighter.

“Light one up,” Zetsu advises. “If the smoke alarm starts to blare, we know that you shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m sure you can smoke,” Izumi says, trying to placate him. “Obito obviously took that into account.”

“Just wait for ten minutes, will you?” Nagato rolls his eyes. “What do you want to drink?”

Yahiko lets it go. Izumi is now hooking her elbow through Itachi’s and he throws her a sultry smile. She positively beams back. Typically, on club nights, Izumi expects Itachi to deliver various degrees of sexual excitation and execution. He doesn’t mind. He isn’t celibate, after all. But in a private room with all his friends? Not a chance. Besides, he hasn’t been feeling well recently for some reason. Just a tiny, nagging inkling right under his skin that he can’t quite place.

He takes his phone out and places it on the table. Sasuke has sent him a text. Itachi was right in assuming that Sasuke would pass up the offer on hanging out with his friends. He’s made plans with Hinata and Suigetsu, instead. They’re going for a late-night open theatre screening of _Interstellar_.

**How’s the place?**

Itachi types back. _Not bad. It’s weird, though. Coz we’re in one of the private rooms, right? It feels like we could have just hung out at someone’s house._

**LOL. Just leave if you don’t feel up for it. Where’s Kakashi?**

_Hanging out at the bar with Obito, probably. He thinks that I don’t know he follows me inside the clubs._

**He’s a shitty guardian.**

_Amen, brother._

“Itachi!” Nagato snaps his fingers in front of his face, and Itachi startles slightly. “Stop texting, man. What do you want to drink?”

“It’s Sasuke,” Itachi explains. “Chivas. Neat.”

Here’s the thing: Sasuke is his best friend. He’s practically the only person in his life who knows Itachi through and through. Must be a twin thing, but Itachi knows that that’s not all. He doesn’t love his brother because he’s his brother. He loves Sasuke because he’s Sasuke.

“You can just talk to him when you go home,” Izumi whines. “We don’t get to hang out much.”

“Stop comparing yourself to my brother,” Itachi tells her.

She rolls her eyes and removes her arm. Konan shoots him an _ugh_ look. Konan has never liked Izumi, and while she doesn’t say it outright, she keeps making these faces at Itachi when Izumi isn’t looking.

Hidan is one loud waiter. He has slicked-back silver hair with a rectangular face. Itachi decides that he has crazy eyes. Hidan takes their order, tells them that the room is smoke-friendly, hits on Konan a little, and leaves.

“How old is he?” Yahiko asks. “He’s hitting on a seventeen-year-old girl.”

“Relax,” Konan dismisses it.

“You liked it?” Kisame laughs at her. “You totally liked it.”

Konan glares at him even as she flushes a light pink. “So what? It’s not like any one of you is interested.”

“Fishing for dates now, are we?” Zetsu remarks flatly.

“Whatever. Besides, he looks twenty. That’s not very old.”

“Please no,” Nagato’s face screws up. “Just _no_.”

Konan snatches the cigarette from Nagato’s fingers and takes a drag, signalling that this particular topic is now over.

“Still not smoking, _Blaise Zabini_?” Kisame jeers.

Itachi shakes his head. “Gotta save my lungs, dude.”

“That’s our Black Swan,” Yahiko beams with pride.

Zetsu started calling him Black Swan when Itachi decided to grow out his hair, even after he crossed the age of ten. Despite his body going through so many changes, Itachi still retained his “ballet body” – lean and soft around the edges, inspiring the name _Black Swan_. It’s also one of Itachi’s favourite routines of all time.

Hidan comes in soon with their orders. He makes another pass at Konan before going back out. Now that Itachi looks closely, Hidan really doesn’t look all that old.

Struck with a sudden idea, Itachi excuses himself to go to the washroom. Not surprisingly, he sees Kakashi sitting on one of the bar stools, with eyes trained right on their room – PR6. Itachi gives him a short sarcastic wave, and Kakashi holds his drink up in imitation of a toast.

Really, really shitty guardian.

However, Obito is nowhere to be seen. Itachi goes in search for the man and finds him near the kitchen, ordering people around him. Itachi waits until he’s done, and then Obito drags him into a little corner.

“Is something wrong with the service?” he asks worriedly.

“No! No. I … I wanted to know whether you take on … I mean. I know this person,” Itachi says carefully. “I was wondering if you can give … that person a job?”

Obito frowns at him. “Who is it? Itachi, please don’t tell me that you’re planning on doing part-time. Your parents will flay me alive.”

“Not for me,” Itachi reassures him. “Really. I know a person.”

“Well,” Obito scratches his chin thoughtfully. “Is that person seventeen, too?”

Itachi has no freaking idea. “Yes.”

“You know that I can’t give anything that will involve interacting with the public.”

“That’s fine.”

“Look,” Obito sighs. “I honestly doubt that. If this is anyone from school, he or she might not be comfortable with back-end jobs. You kids are not trained to do such menial things in life.”

“Like what?”

“Washing dishes, mopping the floors, cleaning the kitchen, taking out the garbage. You know.”

Itachi nods. “Right,” he says and hesitates slightly. “That’s … fine.”

Obito’s head snaps back with surprise. “Really?”

“Yes,” Itachi replies with more conviction than before. “But there’s one … issue. Might be an issue.”

And now Obito really does begin to look suspicious. “What is it?”

Itachi thinks about how he can phrase this without discouraging Obito’s chances at agreeing with this insane idea. “What if … that person ... does not ... possess documents?”

Obito stares at him as if he’s never seen Itachi before in his life. Itachi can’t blame him. This is probably the strangest thing he’s ever done till date, including the time he and Sasuke flew to Greenland without telling anyone just for the hell of it. And he doesn’t even know _why_ he’s bothering with it. All he knows is that there’s something under his skin, nagging at him, and he’s merely throwing caution to the wind for whatever hell to break loose.

“Who is this person, Itachi?” Obito asks him calmly. “Is this person harming you or threatening you? Blackmailing you? We should go speak with Kakashi. Come on.”

Itachi grabs at his arm in desperation. “No! It’s nothing like that.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at,” Obito frowns. “You’re asking me if I can give a job to a seventeen-year-old who has no documents whatsoever?”

Itachi averts his gaze as much as possible, but from the corner of his eyes, he can see realisation slowly dawning on Obito’s face.

“It’s a child criminal, isn’t it? Someone running from the law? Where did you meet the kid? Itachi, have you considered that they might be taking advantage of you? I know that you’re not a naïve boy, but really? A kid with no documents? That’s a disaster waiting to happen. My advice? Stay away from whoever it is. Chances are that you might get roped in. Understood?”

Itachi doesn’t respond. He’s busy figuring out how the conversation took such a dive.

“Also,” Obito continues, “speak with a trusted adult. Tell Kakashi. That idiot man. He should know it already if someone is asking for favours from you! I swear that man is useless.”

Itachi returns to their private room feeling strung out and resigned. So much for doing charity work. The charity galas that his parents host every year for Christmas must be useless, he thinks. If they really are donating money, then why is Sakura living on the streets, fighting off three educated boys, and eating leftover food from school cafeterias?

But Obito’s words do give Itachi some more things to think about. What if the girl is a criminal who is running from the law? What if she’s ran away from her own house? What if she hasn’t even tried doing something with her life, and is only waiting for other people to give her things? If she’s living on the streets, surely she should get a job that will keep her under the radar. Why is Itachi doing it for her? There must be some way the other homeless kids in the country stay alive?

 _They steal phones to earn money_ , his mind supplies.

This is stupid, he thinks. He’s gained free entry to one of the trending clubs in the city, is drinking alcohol in one of the private rooms with his friends, a girlfriend on his arm who demands his attention. He should be enjoying it to the fullest.

So he does. He gets hammered, makes out with Izumi, and suggests Konan that he might be up for a threesome someday. Izumi doesn’t like the idea at all, though. Konan merely raises her eyebrows at him with a smirk on her lips.

Kisame goes out at one point to score after his fifth drink of the night. He returns wearing a triumphant expression and proceeds to detail his adventure word-by-word to Zetsu. Yahiko ends up kissing Nagato this time, and to everyone’s drunken surprise, Nagato doesn’t push him away but participates enthusiastically.

When Hidan returns with their dessert order, Konan slips him her number and winks.

Kakashi ends up supporting Itachi to the car. Itachi passes out as soon as his head hits the seat. He comes to when Kakashi is pushing him into bed, removing his shoes, his shirt –

“Don’t,” Itachi warns when Kakashi is about to remove his pants’ button.

Kakashi levels a flat stare at him in return. “You’re going to sleep in denim?”

“Yes,” Itachi says stubbornly.

“Don’t be a child,” Kakashi says with irritation.

“I _am_ a child,” Itachi reminds him. “I’m seventeen.”

“You use your age rather conveniently,” Kakashi tells him, but stops trying to get his pants off. Instead, he pulls up the comforter and begins to tuck Itachi in as a testament to him being a said child.

“I tried to get her a job,” Itachi says suddenly, staring right at Kakashi. “Obito didn’t understand. He said you’re useless.”

Kakashi’s hands are paused. His eyes are hard and unflinching, and reminds Itachi that Kakashi is his guardian _for a reason_. “Who?”

“That girl who wanted to hit me,” Itachi answers. He has no idea why he’s sharing this with the man, but he’s drunk, and Sasuke isn’t here. Kakashi will have to do. “Sakura.”

“Why would you do that?”

And Itachi is furious in two seconds flat. “Aren’t you so-called adults preaching us kids that we should help the underprivileged, the poor people? You can’t go poorer than homeless!”

“Sleep,” Kakashi says calmly. “And we’ll talk tomorrow.”

Itachi swallows his next words. As soon as Kakashi says _sleep_ , his brain receives a jolting reminder that it’s drunk and sleep sounds absolutely fantastic in the given moment. So Itachi mumbles something as a last resort before promptly passing out.

* * *

He wakes up with a raging headache. It takes him a few minutes to gather the strength to check the time on his bedside clock. 11.07 AM. It takes him another few minutes to struggle with the previous night’s memories. There are some black spots but he remembers most of them, including his conversation with Obito and then drunkenly admitting it to Kakashi.

He checks his phone. His group chat has 39 messages. Itachi hesitates a little before opening it. Zetsu took it upon himself to remind Yahiko and Nagato of their snogging session. The two of them don’t even defend themselves. Instead, Yahiko raves about Nagato’s skills. Kisame is reprimanding Konan on giving out her phone number to some third grade waiter, and she says _I’m not going to marry the guy, relax. He looks like a nice boy toy._

Izumi has texted him how she enjoyed last night, but a threesome with Konan is still off the table, and _how could you say such a thing without consulting with me first?_ Itachi wants to remind her that she slept with another guy _without consulting with him first_ , but instead types –

_Cool. Relax. Not a big deal. I was drunk._

She replies instantly. **Not even a good morning?**

_Good morning._

**That’s cold. :’(**

Itachi blinks at the screen, his head pounding inside his skull. _I’ll talk to you later._

She doesn’t reply.

After the shower, he wanders the hallway towards Sasuke’s room. His brother is sitting at his desk, wearing his reading glasses, and studying with his head bowed.

“Hey.”

Sasuke throws a glance at him. “You look like shit.”

Itachi shrugs and bounces on his bed a little, trying to get comfortable. “How was the movie?”

“Good. Suigetsu yelled at the end. He got a little excited.”

Itachi laughs. “What about Hyuuga?”

Sasuke spins on his chair to face him. “She liked the movie.”

“That’s good.”

Sasuke raises his eyebrows. “Spit it out.”

Itachi smirks. “I did something stupid.”

“Please don’t tell me Izumi’s pregnant,” Sasuke groans, burying his face in his hands, looking genuinely distraught.

There’s a beat of silence before Itachi barks out a loud laugh. “No, you idiot. She’s not pregnant.”

Sasuke peeks out from behind his hands. “Thank god,” he sighs. “What is it, then?”

Itachi tells him about his conversation with Obito. “I don’t get it,” he says. “Why would they not give her a basic job but spend thousands on charities?”

Sasuke has listened to him attentively throughout but is now confused at Itachi’s question – or behaviour, he can’t be sure. “She doesn’t have any documents, Itachi. And Obito has to think of his own skin, too. He can’t have a homeless girl on his payroll.”

“So this is it?” Itachi demands.

“I’m not saying that it’s a good thing,” Sasuke frowns. “I’m just saying that … maybe this is something that we can’t fix. We won’t even know where to start.”

“What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ , you’re only trying to help this one girl, right? What about the other homeless people? Will you give everyone a job? If not, then isn’t it unfair that you’re helping this one person but not the others? Then, why _this_ girl in particular? Maybe there’s an old man who needs a job more desperately than she does? How will you decide whom to help and whom to skip?”

To be honest, Itachi hasn’t given any of this a thought. All he wanted to do was try – actually, he doesn’t know what he was trying to pull off. Now that he thinks about it, it all sounds rather drastic and stupid. Itachi is smart. He should have figured out by himself what Sasuke has just pointed out. Moreover, he hasn’t bothered with the concept of charity before – except for showing up in the charity galas as _part of Uchiha family­_ , and nothing more. There’s no reason to start wandering down that path. He’s only seventeen, on top of that. He has school to focus on. His ballet. His piano. He doesn’t have time to solve the girl’s problems for her.

Sasuke diverts the conversation to Obito’s club, instead. When Obito opened it, he’d invited a good amount of people for the ceremony. Itachi and Sasuke both had been unable to attend, though, mostly because they didn’t want to witness the adults go bonkers, and not even being allowed to drink while doing so. Now, Itachi fills him in with the details. Sasuke is unimpressed by Yahiko’s antics and makes it a point to remind Itachi – once again – that Yahiko needs to calm down. And Kisame, too. And Konan, too. And Itachi, too, for that matter.

“You need to acquire some zest, maybe,” Itachi tells him.

“I’m perfectly content in my life,” Sasuke says serenely.

Itachi soon leaves him alone to study, but mostly because he’s hungry beyond words by now. He tells their cook to prepare something, _anything,_ that won’t require more than ten minutes to do so.

* * *

When Itachi goes out for a jog in the evening, Kakashi naturally follows. The man hangs back a few feet as always, content in simply trailing behind him.

Itachi comes to a short break eventually, out of breath, with hands on his knees, and sweat running down his hair and neck. He dabs at it with the towel, drinks a little water, and throws the rest of it on his warm, flushed face.

Kakashi is doing the same beside him.

“What’s with the extra mile today?” he asks, eyes bemused.

Itachi shrugs. “Just felt like it. You too old to keep up?”

Kakashi scoffs. “You wish.”

It’s a horrible idea to stop now, and Itachi knows it. He has to keep going before his body cools down. But he doesn’t move, and Kakashi doesn’t comment. They stand in silence, evening out their breaths.

“So,” Kakashi says eventually. “This girl.”

The tone makes Itachi’s skin to re-flush. “Don’t make it sound like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like that,” Itachi repeats.

“What’s the deal here?”

Itachi tries to arrange his thoughts on the matter. “No deal. Just asked Obito if he could give someone a job without documents. He told me that I should speak with a trusted adult if someone is trying to take advantage of me. He thinks I was asking for a child criminal.”

Kakashi is assessing him seriously. “Why do you want to help her?”

“Is that important?” Itachi suddenly snaps, irritation flaring up inside him at this question. “If you can’t help her, it’s fine. It’s not the end of the world. I just tried. Why is everyone making a big deal out of this?”

Kakashi raises his eyebrows. “Everyone? Or just you?”

“How am I making a big deal out of it?” Itachi asks incredulously. “I only did a small thing, which didn’t even work. And then I had Obito asking me about child criminals, Sasuke pointing out the impracticality of it all, and now you – does it matter why I want to help her? Really? Or what matters is that whether you can or can you not? Yes or no. That’s it.”

Silence.

Itachi refuses to look at him any longer and focuses on a patch of concrete under his feet. They’re standing in the corner of a wide pavement. Itachi doesn’t take jogs in the park. He prefers the sound of cement. The stability of it.

“I can help.”

Itachi’s head snaps up to him. “Really? How?”

Kakashi sighs, as though already regretting his decision. “I’ll speak with Obito. If he learns that the kid is no harm, I doubt he’ll have any issue. He’s probably only worried about you in the equation.”

Itachi eyes him warily. “No offence, I know that you and my uncle are friends, but will he really listen to you?”

Kakashi rolls his eyes. “Yes. Leave it to me. But the girl really wants it, right? No shady business, I hope?”

Itachi has no freaking idea. “Yes. She wants it. She’s clean.”

Kakashi nods in approval. “Alright. How do we contact her?”

Itachi tries to think of something quick, and the only way he can get around this is –

“The Namikaze kid is her friend. He might know.”

“So you have no idea?”

“None at all.”

“Roger that, Sir,” Kakashi says dryly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The update cycle is 48 hours. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol so it's my birthday today, and I find it a nice, warm little coincidence that Itachi will approach Sakura with help. Also, requesting everyone to stay safe and healthy! :)

Itachi is trying to find ways to approach the Namikaze kid all through their classes on Monday. The blonde is usually alone – he hasn't made any friends in the school, but Itachi hesitates because.

He thinks of getting Sasuke to accompany him as his muscle. By the time lunch rolls around, Itachi has made his decision. He excuses himself from their table to go to the grounds. Sasuke loves to nap in the sun like a cat. He picks him up from the bleachers, explaining that he needs backup, and finds the Namikaze kid on one of the benches on the track field.

Sasuke grabs his arm before they can reach him, when he realises Itachi's intention to approach the blonde. "What are you doing?" he hisses.

"Just come," Itachi insists.

The Namikaze kid isn't all too happy with the interruption. His lunch box is sitting on his side like a sad little thing, and Itachi thinks of the girl – _birds of same feathers, flock together._

"What do you two want?" he asks wearily. He doesn't get up. Itachi thinks it's better. This way, he can look intimidating, towering over the kid.

"Do you know how to contact the – I mean, Sakura?" Itachi asks directly.

Both Naruto and Sasuke are staring at him blankly.

The kid recovers first. "What for?" he demands.

Itachi refuses to look at Sasuke. "Do you know or not?"

" _What for, Uchiha?_ "

This is the uncomfortable and awkward bit. Itachi tries to tell himself that if he can have this conversation with Obito and Kakashi, he can definitely have it with the Namikaze kid.

"I have a proposition for her," Itachi replies. "But I don't know how to contact her for it."

The kid doesn't budge. "What kind of a _proposition_?"

"Yeah," Sasuke adds in pointedly. "What kind, exactly? I thought that idea was scraped off?"

"Kakashi made it possible," Itachi tells him. "Listen, can you get me in touch with her or not?"

The kid raises his eyebrows at Sasuke, instead. "This is nothing shady, right?"

Why the kid is testing Sasuke's faith in an idea that he has no clue about, essentially, is beyond Itachi's comprehension.

"No, obviously not," Sasuke frowns at him.

The kid continues to stare at him, as though searching for a lie on his face. Again, Itachi doesn't understand why _Sasuke_ is in the equation when it is clearly Itachi who is approaching him.

"Fine," the kid finally sighs. "She told me she'll be coming back on Tuesday. That's tomorrow."

"Why not today?" Itachi demands. "Is Monday her idea of Skip Dinner Day? Besides, what if she doesn't show up? Don't you know where she usually is in the city, in case you want to get in touch? I thought you both became friends."

The kid jabs a thumb in Itachi's direction. "What's wrong with him?" he asks Sasuke.

Sasuke has no idea how to respond, so he seems to settle for a defeated sigh. "Just answer him."

"Ask her yourself," the Namikaze kid says instead with finality.

Realising that he won't get more out of him, Itachi begins to drag Sasuke away, deposits him back with Hinata and Suigetsu, and joins his own lunch table in the cafeteria.

The date on the board behind the money counter has Friday's date on it. _16_ , it read on the last line. Skip Dinner Day seems to be a recurring event. Itachi pushes the last few bites of his sandwich away, and doesn't bother with the juice at all.

* * *

His piano instructor, Hashirama, has won several accolades for his skills on the instrument, including one _Chopin_ – the most prestigious award in the field to acquire in one's lifetime. It's one of the reasons why Itachi's parents approached him to teach their four-year-old son, while Sasuke had insisted on painting instead.

Things turned out well, Itachi supposes. He loves to play as much as he loves to do ballet. He couldn't possibly pick one of the two, if ever given a choice. Just as Sasuke won't be able to choose between painting and karate. While neither of them holds a certain goal in life regarding these extracurricular activities, Itachi indulges in the "what if" every once in a while.

As he plays one of _Bach_ 's pieces for Hashirama that day – excerpts from _Passio secundum Joannem_ , Itachi lets himself sink into the space inside his head that is cut off from the outside world. Nothing exists apart from the black and white keys, the nuances in sounds, and his own fingers flying in perfect rhythm.

 _The battle calm_ , Hashirama had told him once. _For music is battle. It's war. And if you think of it as anything less, you've already lost._

"Not good enough," Hashirama shakes his head at the end of their lesson.

Itachi clenches his teeth in silence.

* * *

Later that night, Itachi is on his phone, texting Izumi. Apparently, she got bored doing her assignments and decided to take a break. Her mother is driving her insane, she texts.

_What happened?_

**She came in to check up on me. Saw that I was on the phone, and decided that I haven't studied at all. Ugh. Why does she have to be so overbearing? I'm so jealous your mom isn't like this. :(**

_It's just a misunderstanding, then, right? Clear it out._

**You're so cold sometimes. You're supposed to comfort me!**

_I can't comfort you in a situation that I'm not even a part of._

_Besides, she's your mother. You know her better than I do. What do you expect me to say?_

**You can just say "Sorry you have such a mother"**

_Sorry you have such a mother._

**Now you're just repeating me.**

_I thought I was supposed to say that._

**Don't be a jerk, Itachi.**

_I'm not trying to be one._

**Okay. xxx**

**What are you up to?**

_Nothing. Sasuke just left to go to sleep. Now I'm bored._

He isn't. He's jittery. He has _Moonlight Sonata_ playing in the background, and it isn't doing anything to help him whatsoever. He has no idea what's happening.

**You want to come over? ;)**

Itachi honestly considers it. Kakashi wouldn't mind. Okay, that's a lie. Kakashi would definitely mind, but he will have no other choice. Itachi doesn't know how to drive. Never had to learn.

He entertains the idea of going over at Izumi's place for a good five minutes. Eventually, he types back.

_You wish!_

**You're so mean! :'(**

_Always. Haha._

Izumi eventually says that she should get back to her assignments, and Itachi stares at the moonlight dancing on his ceiling for an hour before he falls asleep.

* * *

His classes on Tuesday seem to fly and crawl at the same time. When he finds himself standing in the parking lot after school hours with Izumi, his five Lucius Malfoys, Sasuke and his two sidekicks, he has no idea how it happened.

"Dude, I swear Ibiki is out for our blood," Suigetsu whines. "He always makes it a point to give us most homework on a school night. How is that fair?"

"Tobirama is worse," Yahiko grumbles. "He loves to humiliate us in class itself. At least with Ibiki, we can stew in our stupidity alone."

"Don't forget Anko," Nagato reminds them. "Half the time, I don't even understand _what_ we're supposed to be doing."

"They're only making sure that we learn," Hinata consoles.

Zetsu snorts. "By trying to kill us?"

He realises immediately that he shouldn't have said that. A prickly silence falls between them. Sora killed himself, a senior, when he couldn't handle the pressure. The school went through the social conventions of holding a funeral, dedicating a memorial stand for him in the hallways, encouraging all the students to approach Dr. Orochimaru as much as possible.

"I have to leave," Izumi eventually says awkwardly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Itachi dutifully places a kiss on her mouth and bids her goodbye. Hinata excuses herself, too, Suigetsu following in her wake.

"Way to go Zets," Kisame glares at him.

"Doesn't matter," Itachi cuts in. "Let's go out tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Konan agrees instantly. "Celebrate another one of Ibiki's drills. Sasu-chan? Coming?"

Sasuke doesn't seem enthusiastic, but he agrees, anyway.

"Kamui?" Itachi suggests. Sasuke stares at him, but Itachi ignores it.

The others approve of the idea, and they trickle out one by one until it's only Sasuke and Itachi.

"I don't see her yet," Sasuke peers around them. "Maybe she isn't coming."

"The Namikaze isn't here, either," Itachi comments. "No, wait. Look."

The Namikaze kid is just rounding a corner of one of the school buildings with the girl. They're speaking seriously, and Itachi has an inkling that they're discussing whether Itachi should be trusted or not. His suspicions are confirmed a moment later when Namikaze's gaze settles on them, and he begins to march with purpose immediately. The girl follows.

She's wearing the same old clothes the first time Itachi had met her on the sidewalk, outside his dance class. The shoes are a different pair, though. They're old and muddy, but at least don't look as though they're about to fall apart.

"You sure about this?" Sasuke mutters.

"Just step in if she tries to punch me again," Itachi requests and Sasuke chuckles but doesn't deny the probability of such an event occurring.

" _So_ ," Namikaze stresses with intention the moment they reach, forgoing all social niceties. "You have something for Sakura."

The girl is standing awkwardly beside him. This is the first time Itachi and Sasuke are seeing her after that encounter with the three boys. Itachi has seen those three around the school since then and ignores their existence completely.

"Yes," Itachi nods with confidence that he doesn't feel. "We have a job offer for you."

Not surprisingly, she takes a threatening step forward with flared nostrils and hard eyes. "What kind of a _job_?"

"It's not what you're thinking," Sasuke intervenes hurriedly. "Why would you even think that?"

She doesn't answer. Instead, she crosses her hands across her chest. "What is it?"

"It's a nightclub," Itachi supplies.

Wrong answer again. This time, even the Namikaze glares at them. "What the fuck, man?"

"It's not what you're thinking," Sasuke repeats hurriedly. "Stop thinking that! Itachi, spit it out in one go."

"It's my uncle's nightclub. He's ready to give you a back-end job. You'll have to wash dishes or something."

Itachi thinks that maybe he should be phrasing his words better. This conversation is stranger than the one he had with Obito about the same.

"And he knows who I am?" the girl challenges. "I'm not stupid, you know. I've tried to get jobs before."

"So why couldn't you?" Itachi retorts.

"No one wants a homeless girl," she says bluntly. "They think I'm diseased or a criminal or that I'm a thief. I only had one decent job until now, but the shop had to close down because the owner went in huge loss. It's not easy to be hired, being who I am."

Itachi has no idea what to say to that, because he, himself, has considered the possibilities of her being diseased, criminal, or a thief. He thinks of the thousands that are donated to charities, and watches this girl who hasn't benefitted from it whatsoever. To be fair, it must be difficult to reach every single poor person out there. Until now, Itachi had been content in his own wealth, convincing himself that they're doing their part by attending the various galas throughout the year. That his parents are doing everything that they can because they're adults. They give long speeches about how they're helping the underprivileged, hold various sympathetic discussions over the state of our country while eating caviar with champagne.

So yes, Itachi knows that, ideally, the girl shouldn't be living on the streets. Yet, here she is, staring at him with challenging apple green eyes, wondering whether this rich seventeen-year-old boy can be trusted or not. _What other choice does she have, though?_ Itachi muses.

"He knows that you probably don't have documents," Itachi says instead. "Or do you?"

The girl's jaw clenches. "No. I don't. And he's fine with it?"

"As long as you're clean."

She throws him a bemused glance. "You mean whether or not I do drugs."

"Yes. Or deal."

"I don't," she frowns.

"There you go."

"Why are you trying to help?" Namikaze shoots, clear mistrust emanating from him.

"Does it matter?" Itachi says with irritation. He's honestly getting a little sick of this question. "You'll get paid a basic wage, of course," he tells the girl. "I don't know about the accommodation. And I suppose you can eat the extra food from the kitchen. Obito will probably give you a uniform, too. That's the most I can do."

Itachi squirms slightly under her hard stare. She doesn't say anything for a few moments, and neither does the Namikaze kid. Sasuke is shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Itachi knows that he's created this uncomfortable situation between the four of them. He has, essentially, gone out of his way to help this girl. This homeless girl that he knows nothing about. All he knows is that her name is Sakura, she's been skipped when the charities were reaching out to the underprivileged, and that she likes to go down fighting. He thinks that's enough reason to try and help her. He doesn't have to like her on a personal level, and he doesn't – her attitude is preposterous – but that doesn't mean he can just ignore what he knows. What he's seen. What she's done by returning his phone to him wearing torn clothes and having Skip Dinner Days.

"How old are you?" Itachi asks her when he can't take the sensitive silence anymore.

She hesitates. "Seventeen."

"That's good. You're at least of legal age to work."

She bites her lip, now averting her eyes to the ground. "Thank you," she mutters. "You didn't have to do this."

Itachi wants to disagree but holds his tongue. That will only open up a completely different tangent of argument.

"So you'll take it? At least, check it out?" he asks.

"Yeah," she nods fervently. "Of course. Absolutely. Can I get the address? I'll pay him a visit. Obito, you said?"

"Yes," Itachi says, feeling a rush of relief that he doesn't quite understand. It shouldn't have mattered to him if she'd refused. "How about you come tomorrow? We're planning to head over there, anyway. And if I'm personally present, Obito will feel more confident."

"Then I'm coming, too," Namikaze quips instantly. "I want to make sure that there's no funny business."

"There isn't, dobe," Sasuke insists, annoyed. "But fine. The club's name is _Kamui_. You'll find it on maps."

"Give me your number," Namikaze says, pulling out his phone, and handing it to Sasuke. "We'll give you a call when we arrive."

Sasuke punches it in, adds Itachi's, too, gives a missed call on each of their numbers and returns the phone. "There."

"See you, then," Namikaze says with finality. He starts to drag the girl away, probably to discuss the logistics of their transport.

The girl locks her eyes with Itachi's one last time, an unreadable expression mirroring back, before turning away and letting the blonde lead.

* * *

Itachi has ballet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as an alternate to piano classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are dedicated to catching up on schoolwork.

Of course, it isn't as smooth sailing. As Suigetsu had commented earlier in the school parking lot, Ibiki – also dubbed as Severus Snape by Nagato – does seem to enjoy shelling out an inordinate amount of homework on school nights.

When Itachi is standing on the curb, waiting for Kakashi to pull the car around after his ballet class, he takes his phone out to check his messages.

As per usual, Izumi has timed her texts. The group chat is filled with Ibiki's homework questions. The rest of them are unimportant. Random students either sending him forwards or asking for help with something or the other.

Itachi hangs on to his phone extra carefully this time around. He's been doing that ever since the thief had attempted to steal it, despite knowing that he can simply buy another one if it comes to it.

He begins to reply one by one. When Kakashi arrives with the car, Itachi settles in the backseat and _Fur Elise_ begins to drift through the speakers.

* * *

On Wednesday, the Namikaze kid approaches Itachi and Sasuke after school, once all their friends have left.

"What time should we be there at?" he asks directly, once again forgoing all social niceties.

"Eight," Itachi tells him. "Call me when you're at the entrance. They probably won't let you in without an invitation."

He nods but doesn't leave. Itachi watches as he gears up to get to the main point. "Why are you doing this?"

There it is.

"Does it matter?" Itachi counters again.

"Yes," he says stubbornly. "I've never seen you do any good deed, ever. As I seem to recall, your lot despises people like me, let alone someone like Sakura. I don't understand why you've suddenly had a change of heart. It sounds all suspicious. Excuse me for not trusting you."

"I haven't had a change of heart," Itachi rolls his eyes. "If you recall, I never exactly bothered you, either."

"Yeah, because you didn't give a shit," Namikaze guesses correctly without missing a beat.

"I didn't see the point," Itachi says.

"And now you suddenly want to help Sakura?"

"Look, Namikaze," Itachi loses his patience. "Be there at eight with her. I don't care whether you trust me or not. This isn't about that. I can get her a job, so I did it. Don't try to read too much into it, because there isn't shit to read into it."

Without waiting for whatever comeback, Itachi spins on his heels. He hears Sasuke say something to the blonde but doesn't bother to wait and listen. He has piano class to get to.

* * *

Later that evening, Itachi changes out of his school uniform into a black fitting shirt, black pants, and his favourite grey shoes. He makes three small braids on the upper half part of his head and then bunches all his hair together to put it in a ponytail. He applies his usual cologne, sprays a mild perfume, and wears his best watch.

Sasuke rides with him to the club, and Kimimaro trails behind them. The others have already reached, and they're waiting in the main lobby of the building. Sasuke immediately hooks his arm with Hinata's, just as Izumi does the same with Itachi.

They ride the elevator up to the penthouse, and Itachi checks the time. It's quarter to eight.

Obito greets them at the entrance, the bouncer dutifully stamps their wrists, and they're led to PR9 this time. It's the same as the other private rooms with solid walls on three sides, and clear glass looking out over the city and the stars above.

Suigetsu whistles as he moves around the space. Kisame shows him the music and light consoles, Yahiko opens his pack of cigarettes, Sasuke and Hinata peer at the streets below, Konan and Nagato are discussing food options, Zetsu is lounging in one of the chairs with his phone, and Itachi just stands there with Izumi's hand in his, not knowing what to do with himself. Eventually, they settle down and strike up inane conversations.

Sasuke receives a call at ten past eight. He looks at Itachi pointedly and gestures him to come outside. They excuse themselves quickly. As soon as they exit the private room, they see Kakashi trying to pass a drink to Kimimaro who is shaking his head, and Obito is leaning against Kakashi's chair, looking thoroughly amused.

Itachi waves his hand at Obito, trying to get his attention.

"She's here," he tells him when his uncle joins them. "She's at the entrance."

"It's a girl?" Obito raises his eyebrows. "All Kakashi said was to go along with it."

Sasuke stares at him. "And you just said yes?"

"Well," Obito clears his throat. "Yes."

"I thought you said Kakashi is useless," Itachi reminds him.

Obito shrugs as though he says it all the time, and they're stupid to take him seriously.

"And is it a problem that she's a girl?" Itachi continues.

"Not exactly. Just surprised. I was picturing a boy."

Sure enough, the Namikaze kid is with the girl at the entrance. The bouncer is not happy to see them. Sakura has managed to wear a somewhat clean coat – the same one Itachi has seen before, it's just cleaner. She's fidgeting with her hands, and Namikaze is speaking with her in quiet tones.

"Hello," Obito greets them cheerily. Itachi and Sasuke hover in the background.

Namikaze is standing stiffly, and Sakura continues to fidget.

"Hi," Namikaze shakes Obito's hand. "I'm Naruto. This is Sakura."

"Let's move from here," Obito says and begins to lead them towards the kitchens. They come to a stop in a little corner, and Obito wastes no time in asking Sakura about her current situation.

She looks highly uncomfortable to talk in front of the other boys, but she does it, anyway. She tells Obito that she's living on the streets, that no one really hires homeless kids, and that she'll be happy with whatever work she'll be given. She only wants to earn enough to survive.

"How do you know my nephew?" Obito asks her after she's done speaking.

Itachi answers for her. "She stopped a thief from stealing my phone."

"And you decided to help her in return?"

There's a beat of awkward silence. "No, that's not why," Itachi says and leaves it at that.

"I don't mind taking you on," Obito tells the girl. "Itachi has also warned me that you don't have any documents on you. Now, it's usually very risky to keep anyone like that on payroll, but I'll make a pass this time. Although, Itachi, I assume you'll take responsibility for her actions."

Itachi opens his mouth to protest, but Obito holds up a finger.

"I'm putting myself at risk here. I understand her situation, and I get that you're trying to help. But it doesn't work like this – that you will dump any random person on my hands and I'll deal with it. You have to take responsibility because, essentially, I'm counting on your word. You have to be a grown-up about this."

Itachi holds his uncle's eyes and doesn't know what his expression must look like. But he eventually nods, and Obito thinks that's good enough for him.

"I vouch for her, too," Sasuke adds in. "So does Naruto, right?"

Namikaze startles a bit at the question but nods heatedly. "Yeah. For sure."

Obito sighs, looking between the four of them. "Kids these days," he mutters. "Don't make me regret this. Okay?"

The four of them immediately agree with him, promising that nothing will go wrong, that Sakura will do well.

Obito tells her that she can join from the next day, clarifies her wages, tells her certain rules, and leaves with a reminder to show up on time.

"You really meant it," Namikaze says with wonder when Obito is gone. "I was waiting for one of you to suddenly yell _gotcha_ the whole time."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at him. " _Really_ , dobe?"

"You can't blame me," Namikaze says stubbornly. "We've never liked each other!"

"That's not gone," Sasuke tells him. "We still don't."

"I know that, teme," Namikaze grumbles. "Sakura, this is so cool, though! You can show that idiot Sasori a huge middle finger now. I bet he won't be very happy."

Sakura grins at him and the effect it has on her face is surprising. She looks young, like a proper seventeen-year-old, rather than the girl who's lived on the streets and fought off three educated boys.

"Absolutely," she says excitedly. "Once I get some money, I can even buy him those shades he's been whining about."

"Yeah," Namikaze rubs his hands together, beaming down at her. "And you can eat those dumplings you love whenever you want!"

"I know, right? You _have_ to eat them with me. I guarantee you that those are the best ones you'll ever taste in your life."

Itachi wants to disagree, because he's had the best dumplings in the world and they're served in _Kotoamatsukami_ – a fancy, seven-star restaurant that his cousin Shisui owns, and he doubts that's what Sakura is referring to.

"Deal," Naruto easily agrees. "And I still have to meet Sasori."

"And Deidara. You'll love Deidara. Then there's Kakuzu, but he's always grumpy. Karui and Mei are always complaining about their love lives, so you might have to be careful there. They'll hit on you the moment they see you."

Namikaze flushes, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh. Sorry but I definitely won't reciprocate."

"You have a girlfriend?" Sakura asks with surprise. "You never mentioned."

Namikaze makes some more embarrassing noises. "I don't do girlfriends. I'm rather … into guys."

"Oh," Sakura blinks blankly. "You're gay?" Then she grins. "Sorry, my bad. Any which way, they'll drool all over you. You're very handsome."

Itachi and Sasuke look at each other, silently wondering what the hell is happening, and why they're standing around listening to the two chitchat.

"Well," Itachi cuts in. "We're just going to … go then."

"Yeah," Sasuke nods. "Good luck with everything."

Sakura's easy smile is wiped off, replaced by awkward biting of her lips. "Yes. Thank you again, for all the help. We'll see ourselves out."

The two of them make their way to the entrance, and Sasuke and Itachi return to their friends. They don't say anything on the matter again, seamlessly re-joining their friends' conversations as if nothing happened.

Hidan is once again their server. He throws a sly smile towards Konan, who smirks back. Once he leaves after taking their orders, Kisame rounds on her.

"What was that?"

Konan laughs. "We've been texting."

"Sexting, you mean," Yahiko's face twists in disgust.

Konan shrugs. She pulls out a cigarette from his pack and lights it up.

"No, no, no," Nagato grabs the stick right from between her lips. "This conversation is not over."

"What's the big deal, you guys?" Konan glares at the boys.

"He's a waiter!" Kisame exclaims sceptically, as though Konan is stupid for missing out on such an obvious detail. "A _waiter_ , Konan!"

"Like I said," she insists, "he's a boy toy! Not a fucking boyfriend. I'm just having fun."

"Then screw Yahiko, if you want!" Kisame advices. "And it's not like there are no boys in our school."

Konan adopts the expression of a person visiting a sick child. "They're all _boys_. I want to screw a man."

Kisame, Yahiko, and Nagato are highly offended. Itachi catches Izumi's eyes and they smirk. Sasuke and Suigetsu are snickering, and Hinata blushes. Zetsu ignores them all, scrolling on his phone.

"Even so," Kisame protests. "You'll find _men_ outside in the club right now. Better than a waiter. Have some standards, for fuck's sake. Pun intended."

Konan doesn't find it amusing. "Just because you love screwing rich, college women doesn't mean I have to do the same. Besides, why are you making a big deal, man? I'm just playing with the guy. Enjoy it and move on."

"You sound like Zets here," Yahiko tells her.

Zetsu raises his eyebrows, eyes still on his phone. "Is that a problem?"

"When she forgets who she is, then yes," Kisame grumbles.

Konan belongs to the family who owns the Angel Corp., one of the business tycoons in the market presently. They're investors. She's the future Heir being the only child, and it's not all that impressive because every single person here is a future Heir.

Itachi and Sasuke will begin their training when they turn twenty-one to one day run their family business; they own one of the largest networking brands in the country called _Tsukuyomi_. Similarly, Hinata will join her elder brother Neji who is studying in college and is twenty years old. The _Byakugan_ is known for its business consultation. Suigetsu's family owns a company that manufactures weaponry. Yahiko's family is into the distribution of said weaponry. Nagato's parents recently rose to fame when their Rehabilitation Centres went countrywide. Kisame's family is the same as Itachi's – Old Money. The _Samehada_ overlooks majority of trade in the international market. Zetsu's father is a former monk who got involved in politics. Izumi's mother owns a large chain of jewellery.

"I'll screw who I want," Konan growls at him. "And you're being a dick, Kisame. You don't get it. My parents will marry me off as soon as I turn eighteen. I'm going to have my fun before that, and I'm not going to apologise for it just because you don't approve."

Konan's parents are conservative to a T. They honestly don't give a shit about the changing world. Everyone knows that the only reason she has this freedom – whatever she's currently enjoying – is because her parents have made it clear that it's temporary.

"I'm not saying don't have fun," Kisame argues. "I'm only saying that pick better people."

"I'm sure Hidan is a nice person," Hinata braves.

"Hidan has crazy eyes," Itachi puts in.

"So?" Sasuke challenges. "Just because he doesn't have money doesn't mean he's a bad person."

And Itachi knows it's a jab at him personally, even if he meant it in general. Sasuke's own brand of pointing out Itachi's hypocrisy.

"That's not what I meant," Itachi corrects. "I'm just saying that he has crazy eyes. It's not a comment on his social status. What if he's a psychopath?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because we don't know him."

Itachi realises his mistake as soon as the words slip out of him.

"Why are we arguing over a waiter?" Suigetsu calls out loudly. "We have better shit to talk about. Sasuke, I can see why you don't usually hang out with your brother's clique. They have some serious issues, man."

That begins another round of argument until they collectively pause when Hidan brings over their orders. Konan is glaring at the table this time, and Hidan hesitates a little before leaving.

But they do stop eventually. Once they're drinking, they get over their quarrel before their second drink of the night.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Itachi thinks that any day now, either Obito or Kakashi will come to him and tell him how Sakura has screwed up, and that he will have to pay for it. He begins to second question himself. The same points repeat in his head over and over again, how he doesn't really know her, she _could_ be lying about drugs, she could be fifteen and Obito is going to get into trouble and it's all going to be Itachi's fault.

The one good thing is that neither Obito nor Kakashi, or Sasuke for that matter, tell their parents about Sakura. Itachi is honestly glad, because if his parents start questioning him, he is afraid he won't have a satisfactory answer to give. Itachi's parents – Fugaku and Mikoto – have always maintained that they expect their sons to get good grades, get into a good college, get a degree, and do something decent with their lives. The thing is that, their "decent" includes not being side-tracked by trivialities. And Itachi has an inkling that this endeavour of his will most definitely be considered a triviality. Sure, their parents have given them their due freedom, but it's always at a price.

Which is why Itachi is positively terrified of what he's done. He realises that he's acted impulsively and foolishly. He shouldn't have tried and helped the girl. The girl was doing fine on her own. Someone else would have helped her eventually. There was no need for Itachi to step in.

He spends two whole weeks agonising over these thoughts. He considers approaching the Namikaze kid at school to know more about the girl – she's stopped coming for the cafeteria food – but he doubts that the blonde will cooperate.

He thinks about sharing it with Sasuke, but he knows that Sasuke doesn't know any better than Itachi, anyway. He only went along with it, with zero personal interest in the matter other than supporting Itachi.

Which is why he's also terrified of failing in Sasuke's eyes. If Sakura screws up, Sasuke's support will have been for naught.

Then again, it's not _that_ big of a deal. Even if the girl screws up, what's the worst that could happen? Absolutely nothing. Obito will fire her, scold Itachi a little, Sasuke will pretend like nothing happened, and they'll move on with their lives like usual.

He convinces himself of this for another two weeks, before he just can't take it any longer, and commands Kakashi to take him to _Kamui_ at once after his dance lesson. Utakata has started with Itachi's practise sessions for the upcoming competition that is to take place in a matter of five months. It's a huge deal, actually, and if Itachi does well in it, he'll gain national fame. It's a step in the direction of the Youth America Grand Prix – the largest international competition for dancers within the age group of 7 and 19 years.

Itachi and his friends haven't been to _Kamui_ since that fight. None of them wants to deal with another round of tedious debate over Konan's choice in men. She has been tight-lipped over the whole "sexting" thing since Kisame called her out on it, and no one wants to take it up again.

Kakashi doesn't bother with pretences this time around, and rides the elevator up with Itachi. Obito is surprised to see him, and questions why he's come alone.

"I want to meet her," Itachi explains, blushing. "Sakura."

Obito stares at him, throws a quick questioning glance at Kakashi, but nods anyway. "She must be near the kitchens. Ask anyone once you go through those doors. You know the way, right?"

Itachi thanks him, and leaves Kakashi to hang out with Obito. He asks one of the servers who's coming out of the kitchen doors, and she points him towards another set of doors. He eventually finds the girl sitting in the Exit staircase behind the storage rooms, head bowed over her phone.

She's wearing a uniform like the others, which consists of a plain black collared T-shirt with _Kamui_ written on the front in golden letters, and black trousers. Her hair is tied in a high ponytail again.

Itachi clears his throat. She looks up immediately, and Itachi has never seen her face so clean. There are no muddy stains or grime or oil. She has clear skin apart from the smattering of freckles on her cheeks and neck.

"Hi," Itachi says uncertainly, awkwardly, already regretting his decision to show up.

She blinks. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Just … visiting my uncle. Thought I'll check on how you're doing, too."

"Oh. It's going well."

"May I?" he asks, gesturing vaguely to the empty space beside her on the stair.

She immediately scrambles a little even though there's a lot of space available for him to sit on. "Yeah. Sure. Of course."

He carefully closes the distance between them and lowers himself beside her. He nods at her hands. "You got a phone?"

She blushes slightly. "Boss gave it to me when he realised that I'll need one. It's not the expensive kind that you use, obviously. Just a basic smartphone so I won't have to bother him with shift timings and all."

He nods. "Makes sense. You can use it to keep in touch with others, too. Don't just use it for the schedule, now that you have it."

"I do," she admits. "Naruto and I text quite often. I made this friend here – Hidan – he keeps sending me these stupid forwards. They're hilarious, though. Look at this one."

Itachi peers at the screen as she opens a chat. There's plain black text on blue background. It reads: _Simba was walking too slow, so I told him to Mufasa._

Sakura begins to laugh and Itachi has no idea how to react.

"It's not _that_ funny," he raises his eyebrows as she continue to laugh.

"It is," she disagrees. "It's funny because it's so stupid. Hidan is kinda like that, anyway. He's a huge goofball. And I love Lion King."

"I love Pinocchio," Itachi shares. "I used to watch that movie a lot when I was a child."

"Really?" she asks in amazement. "What else do you like?"

"I like Beauty and the Beast," Itachi answers thoughtfully. "Peter Pan, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dumbo, The Jungle Book … and a few others but I can't recall currently."

"You're the first boy I met who likes Beauty and the Beast," she gives a toothed grin.

Itachi blushes lightly because he knows it to be true. Beauty and the Beast is quite popular as one of the mainstream movies that typically only girls enjoy.

"I like the concept," he admits. "The Beast waiting to become human. And Belle isn't a damsel in distress. She's very brave, smart, and yes, at first, she only tolerates the Beast because he has her father captive. But she ends up genuinely liking him, as well. It's not very grand. It's simple but meaningful. Not to mention the way the villagers just assume that the Beast is what they think he is, and are unable to see the truth. I don't know. I just really enjoy it."

"I know what you mean," Sakura agrees seriously. "I like how the Beast has only known his own mansion. He grows to be comfortable in it, until he realises that there are more things to life than just that. I like how he then grows to appreciate the small things. You remember that scene where Belle takes him out to the garden? It's so good. I mean, like you said. It's simple but meaningful."

"What else do you like?" Itachi questions, genuinely interested now. His friends never really talk about children stories anymore. It's mostly young adult genre and above. Itachi finds it refreshing that Sakura doesn't mind talking about childhood stories, despite being the age where one is expected to _grow up._ Or at least, begin the process of doing so.

"As I already said, I love Lion King," she says, tilting her head slightly. "Then … I like Brave, Frozen, Tangled, The Little Mermaid … oh, and Coco!"

"Do you have a favourite?"

"Not really," she says and licks her dry lips once. "I like all of them. I haven't seen many, anyway. I heard Frozen has a second part or something now."

"It does," Itachi tells her. "I haven't seen it, though."

Sakura groans. "I wish I'll get to watch that. I really want to see how Elsa deals with being the reinstated Queen."

Itachi smirks at her. "I can watch it and tell you."

She immediately glares. "Don't you dare," she says dangerously. "I'll hit you if you do that, Pretty Boy."

Itachi tsks. "What is it with you and wanting to hit me? And stop calling me Pretty Boy."

"I love to bring you down a notch or two," she replies honestly. "Besides, that's how we settle things. Me and my friends."

"Wonderful," Itachi says dryly. "I don't enjoy getting violent. So please keep your hands to yourself. And if you do punch me, Kakashi will get involved."

"Who's that?" she asks, confused.

"My guardian. He's outside, chatting with my uncle."

"Your legal guardian?" her eyebrows raise.

"No. I do have parents. Kakashi is … well, he has to stick with me throughout the day, wherever I go, whatever I do. So he's sort of my driver, bodyguard, nanny – all rolled into one."

"I've never heard of such a thing before," she remarks. "It's rather convenient, though."

"He's a shitty guardian," he tells her and she laughs.

"If you say so."

"What is it that you do here, then?" Itachi asks, motioning his hand around the empty stairway.

Sakura shrugs lightly. "Basic things. Okay, so I'm on my break right now. I have to return in …" she checks the time, "another ten minutes to wash the fresh set of dirty utensils. After that, I help a little in the kitchen, with chopping and all. Then I have to wait until the club officially closes, and then sweep and mop a little."

"You do it alone?" he asks, surprised. The place is huge.

"No, no. I'm one of them. We divide the sections."

"And you're alright with this job?"

She smiles softly. "Yes. I know that, maybe for you, it sounds like donkeywork. You probably have people doing all these things for you. But it's better than doing nothing. I've had strange jobs before this, so I can confidently say that this is an upgrade."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well. I had this gig once where I had to dress up like a banana to distribute flyers."

Itachi pictures it, and lets out a huge bark of laughter. "You were one of _those_."

Sakura giggles. "Yeah. Then this other time I was working as a reindeer walker."

"What?" Itachi snorts.

"Technically, a pet walker, where the pet is a reindeer."

Itachi asks for more, and Sakura lists out some of the weirdest jobs that Itachi has ever heard of, such as being an extra child zombie in a movie, a scarecrow in someone's backyard, a live mannequin, even an imaginary friend where the parents paid her for the role. And then there were the normal ones that aren't really weird, such as a paper delivery girl and trash collector.

"The last one I had, where the shop shut down? I was there the longest – for about one and a half month. It was a tailor's shop. Obviously, I wasn't asked to tailor. I had to do small things around the place like getting the material from the storage room, serving tea and water, sorting the finished products into different piles."

"That wasn't too bad," Itachi says. "Why did the shop shut down?"

"Oh well, you know. People now don't really go to the small tailors anymore. It's all about designer brands. Or mass production. So it had to close."

Sakura suddenly jumps to her feet, realising that her break time is over. Itachi stands, as well.

"Thanks for stopping by," she says, once again fidgeting, staring at the floor, biting her lip.

Itachi feels awkward himself. It's as though someone came and burst the bubble, and it's time to return to the real world. Itachi realises that he was utterly carried away with her stories, and her life. Sakura seems like a fun and interesting person to hang out with.

"Can I get your number?" he asks shyly, not knowing why he's feeling shy in the first place. He's Uchiha Itachi – pretty, rich, and smart. Girls want to admire him, be in his company. He has a girlfriend who times her texts, who comes crawling back after cheating, who lets him snog her how much ever he wishes to, wherever he wishes to. _There's no reason for him to feel shy._

Sakura's mouth gapes open and she quickly shuts it. "Okay. Sure. I mean, I'd like that."

"You know," he covers up, "to check-in and all. With the job. My uncle did say that I'll be held responsible for you. So … you know."

"Yeah," she nods vigorously. "Absolutely. I understand. Makes sense to exchange numbers."

So Itachi types out his number in her phone. She saves it and shows him the screen: _Pretty Boy_.

Itachi tsks. "I told you not to call me that."

"Would you prefer I save it as Pinocchio?"

He glares at her, and asks for her number. He saves it and shows her the screen: _Banana Flyer._

Her lips thin in irritation and Itachi smiles sweetly in her face. They walk back inside, cross the storage rooms, and come near the kitchens. Sakura bids him goodbye and disappears through the doors. Itachi makes his way to the front where Kakashi is now sitting alone, nursing a glass of water.

Kakashi raises one eyebrow at him. "You're smiling."

Itachi hadn't realised it. He morphs his face back to non-smiling and tells him to move his old ass already.

* * *

Itachi is texting Izumi a few days later, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. Sasuke is lounging on the small couch by the window with a book. There's jazz music playing on the stereo. They've just had dinner and, as per routine, spending some time in Itachi's bedroom before it's time to sleep.

**My mom is making me go to Paris to check out the new shop. My whole weekend will be wasted now! I wish I didn't have to go. I wanted to spend some time with you. :'(**

_It's alright. We'll have a long weekend next time._

**Let's book a nice resort!**

_I can't. I have practice sessions. We'll come up with something else._

**Ahh right. The ballet. Can you not rearrange them?**

"Itachi," Sasuke calls out. "Have you heard of Jiraiya's books?"

"No. Who's that?"

"Naruto's godfather. He's actually a famous writer. I'm reading this book he wrote called _Trust A War To Kill Peace_. He's written about his travels. You should check it out."

**Hello Pinocchio**

Itachi pauses and stares. He opens Banana Flyer's chatbox. This is the first time either of them has texted the other.

"How do you know about Jiraiya?" he asks Sasuke, even as he types _Hello Coco._

**Itachi? I can see you online.**

"Naruto told me," Sasuke answers. "We actually got to talking the other day after karate, because we were the last ones to take the showers. He's actually quite cool."

"Jiraiya or Naruto?"

**What are you up to? I just got a 15 mins break.**

"Naruto."

_Sorry. I'm speaking with Sasuke. No, I can't rearrange the practice sessions._

And then in another chat window: _Sasuke says Namikaze is "quite cool"._

"Really? Namikaze can hold a two-way conversation?"

Sasuke snorts. "Apparently."

**Why are things going so wrong in my life? First Paris, and now we can't even spend a decent weekend because of your ballet!**

His phone beeps again. **Of course, he is! Naruto is awesome. I don't know why you guys don't hang out.**

_Really? I thought Namikaze must have explained by now._

**His name is Naruto. And he kind of implied that there is a "class difference" here.**

_That's not why. I just never could relate with him._

**You and I related just fine.**

_That's what I'm saying. But he has decided that it's because of his money._

**Why don't you correct him?**

_Too much effort. Besides, it's not like I want to be BFFs with him. We're fine the way we are._

**LOL. Okay. Your brother now thinks he's "quite cool", though.**

_Apparently._

**Itachi? Are you still speaking with Sasuke? He's your brother! Just talk to him after I sleep!**

"I think I'm going to ask him to lunch," Sasuke murmurs.

"What!" Itachi shoots up in bed to stare at Sasuke with wide eyes.

"You know," Sasuke says, puzzled by the extreme reaction. "Since he sits alone to eat."

"Oh. Right." Itachi's phone beeps some more. "I thought you meant like a date."

Sasuke's face twists up and he looks at Itachi as if he's stupid. "No, of course not. Why would I even do that?"

Itachi tries to cover up. "You know, since he said he's gay, too."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Just because he's a person I know and he's gay, doesn't automatically warrant a fucking date. I still have to _like_ him."

"I know that," Itachi defends. "I thought you might be harbouring a secret crush on him and now that you know he's gay, you're free to ask him out."

"Where did you get that from!"

"You always talk about him," Itachi says. "I figured it's for a reason."

"Because he annoys me! Not because I'm _harbouring a secret crush on him_. Jesus."

"Fine, fine."

Itachi opens Izumi's text. **Hello?**

_Relax. When are you sleeping?_

Sakura's text reads, **Your brother looks cute.**

 _He's gay,_ he types out and smiles to himself at the indirect compliment.

**So? He can't be cute?**

_No, you idiot. It means that you can't hit on him._

**No, you idiot. It means that I can hit on him, he just won't be interested.**

Itachi laughs. Sasuke ignores him and continues to read the book.

**I'll just sleep now. You don't even seem interested in talking with me. GN.**

_Okay. Good night._

He reopens Sakura's chat. _Do you go about hitting on gay guys?_

**Of course not. I hit on straight ones, too, Pretty Boy.**

Itachi snickers. _Really? Have you ever dated?_

He tries to picture Sakura in a relationship. He imagines a scene where she's wearing the banana costume, a young faceless boy approaches her, and she accidentally ends up tackling him.

**Yes. Only once. You?**

_I have a girlfriend. She's my first._

**First what? Girlfriend or you lost your cherry to her? This is so confusing.**

And Itachi laughs again. Sasuke can't seem to ignore it anymore, it appears, because he lowers his book and asks, "When did Izumi become so funny?"

"It's not Izumi."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Your so-called _Chamber of Secrets,_ I presume."

Itachi doesn't respond, and Sasuke isn't expecting one, either, because he returns to his book.

_My first girlfriend. Whom did you date?_

**This boy called Sora. He actually used to go to your school. He told me about the cafeteria thing. But I think he left the city or something because I haven't heard from him in very long.**

Itachi's heart hammers inside his chest. _What are the fucking odds?_ he wonders.

_Did you ask around for him?_

Any single student could have told her about Sora. Everyone knows the story.

**Nope. It would have looked odd if I'd done that. So I let it go. I'm sure he just moved or something. Did you know him, by any chance?**

He didn't. At least, not personally. He knew _of_ him. Sora didn't have any friends. He used to be a loner, and when he killed himself, no one was all that surprised.

_Not really. How did you meet him?_

**I'll tell you some other time. Break time's over. Ttyl.**

_Okay. Have a good night._

**You, too. :)**

Itachi keeps his phone aside, not knowing what to think. He focuses on the jazz instead, the nuances of sound, and imagines his fingers flying over black and white keys in perfect rhythm, in perfect sync with the music floating around the empty space.

* * *

Hashimara is shaking his head at him. "What are you doing?"

Itachi's fingers pause on the keys, the last note reverberating for a moment before disappearing into the void. He's been playing _River Flows In You_ over and over again – it's not even the hardest song he's played in his life – and still, his entire rhythm is off.

"Itachi, what's going on?"

"Nothing," Itachi insists. "Just having an off day. I'll get it right. Let me try again."

"Off days are not allowed," Hashirama says. "Music isn't a chore, Itachi, that you can simply dismiss it in this manner. It's a part of you. You're not having an off day. You're having a life crisis. I'll ask again – what's going on?"

Hashirama is a good teacher, Itachi knows that. He's one of the best living pianists on the planet right now, and he's asking Itachi what his deal is. No response feels correct. Whatever he'd say, it'd feel like an excuse and Itachi doesn't want to do that. He respects Hashirama way too much.

"I'm thinking of too many things," Itachi admits.

Hashirama gives him a small smile. "That's alright. That's why we are practising the battle calm. Let's try another approach. Play a song – of your own free will – that you believe represents your current predicament. Once you begin, let the notes flow out of you one by one."

Itachi thinks for about thirty seconds and begins to play _Swan Lake_.

* * *

Sasuke does ask the Namik – _Naruto_ – to join his little gang for lunch. Itachi knows this because Kisame drags the chair out from under their lunch table, falls on it, and announces, "Guess what I just saw! Sasu-chan and Kitsune sitting together!"

"Yeah, they're … they talk now," Itachi says with a smirk.

"I don't understand what's going on here," Kisame shakes his head ruefully. "First Konan and her third grade waiter. Now, Sasu-chan and a cheap bookstore Heir."

Itachi's knuckles clench around the fork. "Excuse me?"

Kisame waves his hand dismissively. "You know what I mean. It's like people are forgetting who they are!"

"What my brother does is none of your business."

Kisame might be his childhood friend, but Sasuke is _Sasuke_. His brother. His best friend.

"Chill the fuck out," Kisame tells him. "Tell me that you're not bothered by this. The Namikaze kid has no idea how we live. If he ever takes out Sasuke on a date, it will be to a street-side hotdog meal."

Itachi doesn't budge. "Who said anything about dating? They're just talking."

_I hit on straight ones, too, Pretty Boy._

"Now you know how I feel," Konan adds.

"You're fucking the guy," Yahiko cuts in. "That's not _just talking_."

"The principle of it counts," Konan says stubbornly. "Back me up, Zets."

"What am I supposed to say?" Zetsu grumbles. "All I know is that you guys are taking this way too seriously."

"Kisame is," Konan says.

"How can you not?" Kisame demands. "Don't pretend as though I'm the villain here. We've all enjoyed our Amsterdam weekends, South African safaris, and Mauritian beaches. You guys don't have a clue how to survive without all the maids, drivers, gardeners, personal shoppers! This school is one of the best in the country because it's challenging, and you need a buttload of money to get in _for a reason_. Tell me that you'd be fine going to a normal high school with middle-class students. You know what their weekends are like? Go to the nearby town and shop for a dress. Konan, you love visiting France just for shopping lingerie. Itachi, your ballet and piano instructors are your instructors because you have money. Sasuke will throw a bitch tantrum if he doesn't get the exact brand of the exact shade of red. So yes, I don't know what the fuck Konan or Sasuke are doing, because it sounds fucking stupid. Tell me I'm wrong. Go on!"

There's no answer.

"That's what I meant," Kisame finishes with a flourish.

The rest of the lunch passes in uncomfortable silence. Only Nagato remarks on the state of the sandwiches. _The bread is too dry_.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (MAJOR) RANT: Okay, so I wanted to explain why I write ItaSaku pairing and SasuNaru as sorta side pairing. It's not because I ship canon ItaSaku, it's not. I like Itachi as one of the male characters, his complexity and layers, just like Nagato, Obito, Madara, Sasuke, Jiraiya, Kakashi, etc. Similarly, as one of the female characters, I like Sakura. I have read extensively about Sakura, SasuSaku, Hinata, NaruHina, with the hope of trying to understand how the various readers and viewers interpret them as individuals and in pairing (both hate and love for them). Now, the thing is, if I was forced to give the 3 main characters heteronormative relationships in future, and if I dissect them really closely, then I am able to convince myself that they do make sense at some level. HOWEVER, if I were asked to pair the main 3 characters, in any type of relationship, then I would definitely go with SasuNaru. I realise that they are portayed as spiritual brothers in canon, I still feel that there are quite some romantic and sexual undertones that can be interpreted to fit one's desire – which I did. Other than that, their respective journeys as representations of yin and yang is downright phenomenal. I absolutely do enjoy SasuNaru. Their chemistry – in whatever interpretation, shape, form – is simply a treat to witness.
> 
> Now, back to ItaSaku. As I said, I do not personally ship the canon versions of them – I only like them individually, and I believe that I understand hetero-relationships enough to write about them in depth. I think that I need some more experience and insights to truly do justice to SasuNaru as the focal pairing in my stories. Since I've grown up watching hetero-relationships, I'm able to perceive the underlying themes and explore them somewhat. I just do not have enough personal experience (or confidence) to write a proper non-hetero of any kind.
> 
> P.S.: This is my opinion. Of course, everyone is entitled to theirs, and no opinion is wrong opinion per se, and I don't wish to begin some sort of debate. I felt the need to explain why this and my previous story (The Nightingales) have ItaSaku as focal pairing. Also, why my characters do have considerable amount of OOC. I mean no offense to the canon.
> 
> Disclaimer: Deals with some controversial topics of today.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! :)

Izumi leaves for her Paris weekend trip on Friday evening. Itachi visits her house to see her off, and by the time he returns home, he feels strung out. Izumi's mother _is_ a little overbearing. The entire time, she hounds Itachi with all kinds of questions about school, studies, his parents, Sasuke, classes, goals in life, college options, and what not. The worst part is that this wasn't his first time meeting Izumi's mother, either. Every time Itachi pays a visit, it's as though time has reset itself and he has to go through the motions all over again. He feels a little bad for Izumi because the girl stays with that woman.

When he's having dinner with his family, Mikoto asks him about her.

"It's been a year now," she says. "I'm assuming that it's serious?"

Itachi swallows his food before responding. "It's going well, mom. I don't know about it being serious. It's been the same as always."

Mikoto frowns with disapproval. "Are you simply dating her for the sake of it? Itachi, the relation has to move forward – or backward. It can't stay static for long."

"What am I to do? I can't force it going either way."

"No, you can't," she concedes. "But it usually does. If it's static, then it's already lost."

"You want me to break up with her?" he asks, surprised.

"Is it helping you?" she counters. "Being with her – is it adding anything to your life?"

Itachi averts his gaze to his food instead. He hasn't thought of it in this way until now. When Izumi began pursuing him, Itachi found her to be a pretty and strong-willed person. She told him about her mother, and how she grew up feeling like a trophy child. Izumi doesn't have a father, so her mother took it upon herself to play both the roles in Izumi's life. Yes, it didn't exactly pan out well for Izumi because her mother ended up micro-managing many aspects of Izumi's life – still, Itachi thinks that it doesn't really deter him.

However, a few months into dating Izumi, Itachi began to notice certain characteristics that he hadn't expected. Izumi started to rely on him heavily to the point where he now has to take her to every outing with his group of friends. Izumi's own group of friends were forgotten. At first, Itachi felt it to be alright when Izumi would come to him to vent out – her mother can truly be annoying. But it snowballed to the point where now Izumi isn't the strong-willed person he thought she was – she just sounds catty and whiny.

There have been times in recent months, though, when Itachi would stare at his phone screen blankly with no idea what to say to her. Or how to speak with her. Or how to behave. It feels as though he's going through the motions of being a boyfriend simply because he still remembers when Izumi first approached him and said _Have you ever felt caged?_

And Itachi had said, "Not really. Why do you ask?"

Izumi smiled this secretive smile, and said, "Let me tell you about my mother."

Listening to her life made Izumi appear to be different than the other girls. Where they loved to shop and show off, Izumi would say how it's tiring to be your own mother's guinea pig. Where they loved to tell Itachi about their broken nails, Izumi would roll her eyes and talk about broken dreams. It all had been refreshing for Itachi at the transition between fifteen and sixteen. He was so used to girls being a certain way that Izumi entered like a breath of fresh air.

And when she said that they should just date already, it felt like the most natural thing to do.

Things had been absolutely fine for the first few months. Itachi was happy, Izumi was happy, everyone welcomed her with open arms, and all was well. Until one day, Konan posed a question to Itachi when they were lounging in pool chairs under the hot summer sun.

It was just the two of them – the others having given up on sunbathing and dived into the cool water – and Konan pushed her large sunglasses up on her hair, turned to Itachi and said –

"Does she make you happy?"

 _Of course_ , Itachi answered quickly, confused at the question.

"Really?" Konan titled her head. "Because, to me, it looks like she found a boy to pine after so that she can escape her suffocating life."

And then things went downhill. Sasuke's smiles felt forced, Kisame would stick with Zetsu, Yahiko and Nagato disagreed with her more and more, and Konan would make faces when Izumi wasn't looking.

When Kisame said that Izumi cheated on him, Itachi didn't care. He knew that Izumi wasn't going anywhere, and she'd just come back to him eventually. He never paused to think if he _wanted_ her to come back.

After dinner, when Sasuke is reading his book on the couch, Itachi pillows his head on his arms, stares at his ceiling, and tells him what Kisame had said – that they can't survive outside of their money.

"Why would you want to?" Sasuke questions.

"I'm not saying that I want to. I'm just wondering if he's right."

"Of course, he's right," Sasuke says. "I can't believe that I'm agreeing with Kisame of all people, but what he said makes sense."

"So why are you hanging out with the Namikaze kid?" Itachi retorts.

"He's cool to talk to," Sasuke replies. "I mean, we kind of began on the wrong footing and things went to shit. But he's smart. No wonder he got a scholarship."

"What about the entire money thing? If you're friends now, surely, he'll accompany you everywhere. Will you leave him behind when he can't afford the tickets to the Louvre?"

"I doubt he'd be interested in the Louvre," Sasuke snorts.

"You know what I mean. Forget international trips. Even if you go out to eat, what then?"

"I don't know," Sasuke admits. "It's fine for now because all we do is hang out during school hours."

"Things won't be as smooth sailing."

"I know. And I have a feeling that he'll throw a tantrum if I offer to pay for anything."

Itachi snickers. "He's Kitsune, all right." There's a brief moment of silence, before Itachi picks up the conversation sombrely. "I always enjoyed this. Having everything that I ever wanted. I still do. I can't imagine driving to a nearby town to buy a dress, as Kisame puts it."

"Me, too," Sasuke says sheepishly.

"What do you think of Izumi?" Itachi asks, eyes still trained to the ceiling.

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke asks slowly and carefully. "Is everything fine between you two?"

"I think so," Itachi says. "Just that – I'm thinking about what mom said. Do you think she's right?"

" _Are_ you guys static?" Sasuke counters.

Itachi realises instantly that Sasuke is trying to deflect – either because he thinks his honesty will not be appreciated, or that he doesn't have a clue what to say. It's mostly the former, because Sasuke has something to say on _everything_. He's very opinionated like that. Maybe the Namikaze kid and his brother bonded over this trait. The blonde boy is nicknamed _Kitsune_ because even though he was teased and troubled the moment he set foot in their school, Naruto was far from shy or submissive. He would burst out in heated speeches everywhere, until the troublemakers were too irritated or annoyed and they'd leave him alone.

"I don't know," Itachi admits. "I never really gave it any thought. Izumi is Izumi. What else is there to think?"

"Don't you think that you should map out how you feel about her? I mean, you've been dating her this whole time. What's the point, then?"

Itachi sits up. Sasuke has bookmarked the page with his finger, and is dutifully giving his full attention to Itachi.

"Tell me what you think," Itachi holds his brother's eyes. They're the same. Same shape, same colour, same size. Moments like these – when he's truly focused on Sasuke – Itachi realises how similar they are in appearance. Granted that they are technically fraternal twins, but they have the same silky black hair, the same fair skin tone, the same height, similar build, same pointed chin, same long nose, same thin lips. The only feature that differentiates them is their overall facial structure – the cheekbones don't match, Itachi has pronounced tear troughs, and Sasuke prefers to keep his hair short.

"About Izumi?" Sasuke clarifies, and Itachi nods. "I think she's holding you back. I think she doesn't realise it herself, but she's becoming her mother day by day. And I think you deserve better than that."

* * *

On Saturday, Itachi is out with his friends at a bowling alley. It's one of their favourite activities, and Sasuke and his little gang – along with Naruto – join them.

They split into two teams with Itachi, Konan, Sasuke, Kisame, and Yahiko on one side, while Naruto, Zetsu, Hinata, Suigetsu, and Nagato are on the other side. Half an hour into their game, they realise that Naruto is a natural at it. He's wiping the floor off of them, and even Kisame rises to the challenge with more zest than Itachi had ever seen in the man. Nagato is cheering loudly "Go Kitsune!" and Sasuke looks ready to hit him. Suigetsu is clapping Naruto on the shoulder, telling him that he's going to pay for Naruto throughout the night, come what may.

After the rather heated match, Sasuke suggests going to Kamui, and Naruto positively beams at him, saying, "Yes! I can meet Sakura, too!"

No one bothers asking who Sakura is. They file into their cars and rendezvous in the lobby. Kakashi and Kimimaro are back to their acts of trying to be discreet. Obito tells them that there's waiting since there are no rooms available at the moment.

"It's a Saturday night," he says apologetically. "Why don't you wait in the backrooms and I'll come fetch you as soon as one of them clears away? I can't have teenagers standing around here."

Itachi hasn't spoken with Sakura since their chat. Feeling a little peeved, he follows Obito through the double doors that's marked _For Staff Only_ , and Obito dumps them near the storage rooms. Before his uncle leaves, Naruto quickly asks him if he could speak with Sakura.

"I'll let her know you've come," Obito says. "Don't go wandering off."

"Since when does Namikaze know your uncle?" Yahiko asks Itachi and Sasuke.

"Since Sakura started working here," Naruto replies. "She's a friend of mine."

Now, everyone is glancing between the three of them. Itachi and Sasuke stay silent, and Naruto doesn't understand what the confusion is about. He's whistling a random tune, completely at ease.

Sakura arrives before Obito does with a cleared table. She's in her uniform, hair in a high ponytail, and beaming at Naruto. He quickly bounds over to hug her.

"You should have told me you were coming!" she scolds, pulling back from him.

"Last minute thing," Naruto smiles sheepishly. "I went bowling with these guys, and we just sort of decided to come here. Do you have time to stay?"

Sakura hasn't noticed Itachi yet, and Itachi is almost glad for it.

"Actually, I'm off for the night," she replies. "I was about to change and leave."

"Join us, then!" he says excitedly. "Use your staff discount!"

Sakura giggles. "Even with it, I doubt I'd be able to afford it. Have you never seen the prices here?"

"I've never been here before," Naruto admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, I'm only here now because Sasuke gets free entry, isn't it?"

As soon as the words leave his lips, Sakura's eyes swivel to the group finally. Her gaze first lands on Sasuke and then Itachi, who is standing beside Konan, and she immediately smiles and gives a short wave.

"Hey guys."

Sasuke waves back in similar fashion, and Itachi gives a tight-lipped smile. She frowns, her easy smile slipping away.

"What do you say?" Naruto grabs her attention. He hasn't noticed the less-than-enthusiastic greetings. "Stay for a bit. Come on!"

"It's alright." Her smile is awfully fake and her apologetic tone falls flat. "Like I said, I won't be able to afford, anyway."

And before the situation can become even more awkward, she turns to leave.

"Wait," Konan calls out. "You're Naruto's friend?"

Sakura glances once at Itachi, and he wants to cower under the green fire. "Yes."

"Stay," Konan shrugs coolly. "He won the bowling match for his team. Suigetsu, what's another person? Come on, show some sportsmanship, man."

Suigetsu smirks. "I have no problem. You know what, Pinkette? Really do join us. Namikaze has proven himself to be a strong opponent. I'd love to see what his friends are like."

Sakura bites down on her lip, visibly conflicted. Itachi's heart is hammering against his chest. Sasuke has caught his eyes at least ten times in the last two minutes, and Itachi has no idea what to do with it.

"Alright," she eventually agrees. "I've heard quite a bit about you. Suigetsu, right? And you must be Hinata?"

Hinata smiles back. "It's very nice to meet you."

Naruto drags her to the group and begins to introduce the others. "That's Kisame, Zetsu, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan … you already know Itachi and Sasuke. Guys, this is Sakura!"

Kisame is so blank that Itachi wants to snicker. But he doesn't comment. He doesn't even speak. Only Nagato, Konan, and Zetsu greet her in return. Sakura turns to leave saying that she'll join them after changing her clothes. Obito is back before she even has the time to open the doors.

"Sakura, you're off, right? Okay. Guys, go to PR3. I'll send in Hidan. You know the drill."

"Actually, I'll be joining them," Sakura tells him. Obito pauses in surprise. "Is that allowed?"

"Yes, of course." He glances between her and Itachi.

Sakura nods and he disappears just as hurriedly as he'd entered.

* * *

Everything is going fine – meaning, Sakura is bonding well with Konan, Hinata, Nagato, Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Naruto, while Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, and Yahiko are having inane talks at the other end of the table. Itachi tells himself that it's too much of an effort to speak with Sakura because there are too many people between them, and sticks with this justification throughout the night, until –

"So are you guys dating?" Sakura asks Konan at one point.

Their side of table erupts in laughter. "Me and Itachi? Not at all. He's dating Izumi."

Sakura gives an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, my bad. Why isn't she here today?"

And Itachi cuts in, because Izumi is his girlfriend. "She's in Paris for the weekend," he tells Sakura and is acutely aware that this is the first direct communication he's had with her tonight.

Her eyes are melting trees. "Right." In burning snow.

Itachi averts his gaze, and focuses on Kisame instead.

Sakura sticks with beer, he notices. No hard alcohol. She eats a little, but mostly speaks. Itachi pulls out his phone and sends Izumi a quick text.

_How's it going?_

Her reply is instant. **At the house. Bored. What about you?**

_We're at Kamui. Thought of you._

**Aww! 3 I miss you, too! Xxx**

_Why are you at the house? Paris is a good city to explore._

**You know I've been here 10000s of times. It's not exciting anymore. :|**

Sakura is laughing at something Suigetsu is regaling with avid facial expressions. Even Konan is clutching at her stomach. She seems to be enjoying herself even after Hidan gave her the cold shoulder earlier when he'd come to take their orders, and then later to serve.

_Alright. So what will you do tonight?_

**We could video call ;)**

_I'm at the club!_

**Hahaha I'm kidding.**

**But call me, anyway. I want to say hi to everyone.**

Yahiko is offering Sakura a smoke, and she refuses.

"Have you ever smoked before?" Konan asks, taking one stick out of the pack for herself.

Sakura bites her lip. "Once. Hated it. Besides, it makes my throat all raspy."

"What?" Suigetsu snorts. "You sing or something?"

Sakura flushes. "No."

Itachi has never heard her lie, but firmly believes that this is what she looks like when she does. His attention is grabbed by his sudden ringing phone. Izumi is calling.

Itachi accepts the call and holds the screen in front of his face. Izumi is sitting on her bed with her hair around her face. She grins at Itachi.

"Hey!"

"Hey. Hang on, let me step outside."

"No, no. I want to see everyone. Come on, I'm bored here!"

Itachi hesitates, before remembering that he has no reason to do so. "Guys," he calls out. "Izumi on call."

He passes the phone to Kisame, who gives a short wave in the camera, before passing it on to Zetsu. This goes on until it reaches Naruto, who has no idea what to do, but ends up beaming in the camera anyway. He hands it to Sakura, but she quickly gives it to Suigetsu.

When the phone returns to Itachi, he repeats that he'll step outside. She doesn't protest this time, and he makes his way near the washrooms where the noise is not very loud and he can hear her clearly. That's what he tells himself, at least. Izumi asks him who the new girl is, and _why is the Namikaze kid there?_ Itachi tells her that they're Sasuke's friends.

"What's wrong with him?" Izumi's face scrunches up. "Have you seen their clothes? The girl looks like she has nothing else to wear, and Namikaze's T-shirt is old enough to use it as a washcloth."

"Sasuke's life is no concern of yours," he tells her icily.

She doesn't budge. "Come on, Itachi! He's your brother. Shouldn't you tell him not to hang out with the likes of them? Hyuuga and Hozuki are bad enough already."

"What?"

She rolls her eyes. "Have you seen the way Hyuuga struts around the school? As though she's in a beauty pageant. And Hozuki insists on acting like a ten year old."

Itachi stares at her, wondering how he's missed this side of her completely until now. Has Izumi always been this _jealous_?

"Izumi," he begins seriously. " _You_ should know by now that if you keep competing against Sasuke, I will throw you out of my life without a second thought."

It doesn't sit well with her at all. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You keep commenting on Sasuke's life as though you have any right to do so. I don't know how I let it continue for so long."

"Itachi," she says angrily, "you're _my_ boyfriend. My _boyfriend._ You're supposed to take my side, no matter what. I should be the most important person in your life, because you are the most important person in my life. Sasuke might be your brother, but I'm your girlfriend. I deserve your full devotion, at all times! I've tolerated your shit for a really long time now. Don't make me spell it out for you!"

And Itachi feels anger coursing through him like never before. "Do spell it out, Izumi, because you seem to be dying to do so!"

"Fine, then!" she yells in the phone. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to date you? You're never present in the moment, ever! You're always distracted by something or the other, or you're always in your own mind all the time! Trying to get you to talk is like pulling teeth! Not to mention your weird insistence on spending time with Sasuke. I mean, _come on_! He stays in the same house as you! Why does he get your attention when I'm trying to text? Every night, I feel like an idiot to be wasting my time on you because you seem more interested in what _he_ has to say than me! When do I get your attention?"

A random man in his early twenties passes by him, giving him a sympathetic smile, as though being yelled at by your girlfriend in a corner near the washrooms is an everyday occurrence.

Izumi isn't done, though. "It's like you only see me when you want to screw around. I'm not your toy, you asshole. You can't use me like that! Everything in the world is more important to you than I am, let alone Sasuke! _Your_ piano, _your_ dance, _your_ friends, _your_ life! When I try to get some sympathy from you, you act like the coldest human being in the history of human beings! As if only you matter, and I'm simply a trophy girlfriend to you! What the fuck, Itachi? I get that shit from my mom, I don't need it from you, too!"

The same man from earlier is now exiting the washroom, and he gives another sympathetic smile to Itachi.

"Are you done?" Itachi asks her calmly.

She gets even more furious. "No, I'm not, you jerk! Oh my god, can you act like a fucking human being? It's like you're a freaking robot!" And she begins to cry.

"Why don't we talk later when you've calmed down?" he says.

She cries harder. "Just fuck off!" The call cuts.

Itachi stares at his screen for a few seconds, before locking his phone and keeping it in his pocket. He turns around to head back and stops in surprise when he finds Naruto staring at him with an unreadable expression. He clearly heard the conversation.

"Are you eavesdropping?" Itachi asks dryly.

Naruto rolls his eyes. "It's hardly called eavesdropping if the entire club can hear your girlfriend."

Itachi ignores the exaggeration. "So what? You thought it was perfectly fine to stand there and listen?"

The kid ignores the jab, and instead says, "Why does she have a problem with Sasuke?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to fucking pee, no shit."

"Then go ahead. Don't stop on my account."

He doesn't move. "Why does she have a problem with Sasuke?"

"How is it any of your business?"

"Come on, man," Naruto groans. "Why are you always so rude to me? What the fuck have I done to you?"

Itachi doesn't respond immediately. "Shouldn't I ask you that? You're the one who made assumptions about me and acted accordingly, when, in fact, I've never done anything to you."

Naruto raises his eyebrows coolly. "Apart from standing and doing nothing when the others harassed me, yes, you're quite right."

"What did you want me to do? Step in and tell everyone to stop teasing you? You're not a child, Namikaze. Fight your own battles."

"No wonder your girlfriend's mad at you, Uchiha," Naruto shoots back. "You _are_ a freaking robot. I don't know what Sasuke sees in you. Fight your own goddamn battles, then."

With that, he pushes past Itachi to go inside the washroom. Itachi stares after him for a bit, before returning to their table. Kisame asks him what the _missus_ wanted, and Itachi gives him a look that shuts him up instantly.

To be honest, Itachi is a little mad. And the thing about being mad is that he always feels rebellious at such times. There are many instances from his life wherein the evidences of this anger are scattered around him, including Sakura. When Itachi got mad at the three boys who tried to harass the girl on the streets _for fun_ , he felt rebellious, and the outcome is Sakura sitting with his friends, drinking beer and laughing at Suigetsu's stories.

And now he wants to do something that Izumi will hate. _She did cheat on you_ , his mind supplies. Itachi had let that go. Now, _now_ , though, he doesn't _want_ to let this go. She never should have compared herself with Sasuke.

Namikaze enters the room, and without a single glance thrown his way, takes his seat beside Sakura. Sakura, meanwhile, is attentively listening to Hinata.

The music in the room is at the level where they can talk to two or three people around them, but the voice doesn't carry farther than that. So Itachi has no idea what's happening on their end of the table anymore. Feeling a little restless, he gets to his feet and makes his way to the glass wall to stare out at the city. He sees Sasuke coming to join him in the reflection.

"What happened?" he asks directly.

"Just an argument," Itachi replies. "I'll deal with it later."

"About what?"

"Some stupid things that I don't even know," Itachi says with clenched teeth. "She said that I don't pay her due attention, and that I see her as a trophy girlfriend."

Sasuke suddenly snorts, then tries to stifle it. "Sorry. Sorry."

Itachi gives a slow smirk, feeling a smug satisfaction settling in his gut.

"What else did she say?"

"That I'm selfish, that I only think about myself."

"I see. What are you going to do?"

Itachi shrugs. "I don't know. I'm a little angry. Maybe I should tell her that. Proof that I'm not a robot."

Sasuke stares at him. "She said that you're a robot?"

"Yeah."

Sasuke doesn't respond. He offers Itachi the glass he's holding. "Drink up."

Itachi does. It's Jägermeister. Sasuke pulls him back to the table, and Itachi ends up beside Konan. Sakura is sitting on Konan's other side.

"Hi," Itachi calls out.

Sakura pauses in her speech to Hinata, surprised at the interruption. "Hi," she says warily.

Konan is serenely smoking between them.

"Are you having fun?" Itachi asks.

Sakura is now looking at him as though he has personally offended her by this inquiry. "Yes," she says stiffly. "Thank you."

"You sing, then?"

Sakura is about to return to Hinata's conversation, but stops at the question. "No."

"Liar." Itachi smirks at her. "Hello, Coco."

The anger falls apart right in front of him. Sakura's eyes are not burning trees anymore, and she grins a toothed grin, and Itachi finds his own anger at Izumi melting away at the sight of it. _Must be the alcohol_ , he concludes.

"Hello, Pinocchio."

Konan is still smoking away between them.

"I'm going to come on that side," he says and gets to his feet. "Passive smoke."

Sakura nods in understanding, but she gets to her feet, as well. "Passive smoke."

Itachi chuckles. Yahiko is smoking on the other end of the table. On the opposite side, there's Nagato and Suigetsu sharing a stick between them. Sasuke and Naruto are watching Itachi and Sakura in return, and Hinata doesn't know what to do with herself because her conversation partner is suddenly standing. Kisame is hammered, and Zetsu is lounging with his phone as always.

Itachi goes to the music console and lowers the sound. "Can we have all smokers on one side?"

They all groan but shuffle towards one end. Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Itachi sit on the other side. Kisame and Zetsu don't smoke as such, but they don't care either way.

Itachi sits between Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto is staring at him with the same unreadable expression.

Sasuke strikes up a random conversation, and Sakura and Hinata tune in to him. Itachi is glad. He was honestly at sea as to what to do with the situation. His phone has been beeping for a while now, so he pulls it out to check. Izumi has sent him six back-to-back messages.

**You're such an asshole. You didn't even call me back.**

**Itachi, I'm very pissed at you.**

**Who am I kidding? You're obviously talking to Sasuke again. Nothing new. I'll just be ignored.**

**Text me back, you jerk!**

**Itachi, I swear I won't talk to you if you don't text me back right now.**

**I mean it.**

Itachi gulps down some beer. _I told you that I'm at the club._

As always, the reply is instant. **So what? Are your friends more important than your angry girlfriend?**

_You're going to be angry even if I reply later. What's the point in doing it now?_

**I'm angry because you're not replying NOW!**

_I told you earlier on the call that we will talk later. Why are you insisting on having a conversation when there are clearly better times to do so?_

_Moreover, you're not angry because I'm not replying. You're angry because I act like a robot._

**Case in point.**

_Izumi, what do you want me to do? What are you expecting from this fight?_

**That you understand that I deserve to be treated with respect! Which you have never done!**

"Is everything okay?" Sakura asks and Itachi startles a little.

"Yeah," he replies.

"Liar," she smirks.

"Girlfriend issues," he says and doesn't offer more.

"Ooo," she says excitedly. "Tell me."

"Why are you happy?" he asks, puzzled.

She laughs. "I'm not _happy_. I want to know what kind of girlfriend issues rich people have. Is she mad that you didn't give her a diamond ring?"

Itachi laughs loudly, garnering Sasuke and Naruto's attention. "No."

"Then?"

Itachi is conflicted for a few seconds but the way Sakura is looking at him so expectantly makes him want to spill everything to her. "Normal things. Nothing about diamond rings."

She raises her eyebrows. "Gucci purses?"

"Why does it have to be over merchandise?"

"I don't know. I mean, I can't think of any other issues that she can possibly have with you."

"Really?" he asks, surprised at the faith. "You don't even know me."

Sakura smiles and leans in as though she wants to share a secret. Itachi dutifully lends his ear. "You're considerate, you help random homeless girls by protecting them and giving them jobs so that they don't starve on the streets, you love Beauty and the Beast, you're pretty _and_ rich _and_ smart. To me, it's quite the complete package." She pulls back and winks at him good-naturedly.

Itachi doesn't know how to respond to that, so he doesn't do it immediately. "Are you _flirting_ with me?"

And Sakura laughs, saying, "Why would I flirt with you?" Then she winks again. "I only hit on gay guys."

Itachi grins. "Liar."

His phone beeps again. **This is it. I can't take this anymore. I'm breaking up with you. Have a good life.**

Itachi's light-hearted warmth seeps out of him as he reads it. _Fine by me,_ he types, sends it, and pockets his phone, ignoring another beep that comes in instantly.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deals with controversial topics.

Itachi goes through his routine as per usual. He knows it's probably not a break-up. Izumi has done this once before, and she had texted him within three days.

It was when a few months ago, Itachi and Sasuke took a cruise to the Antartica without telling any of their friends. It was when Sasuke had insisted penguins have legs, and Itachi had said that they only have feet. Instead of googling, they went to check for themselves. Izumi broke up with him when he was on his way home – Sasuke had won, by the way, and Itachi was forced to listen to his playlist before they slept for a month straight as the price to pay – and by the time they reached, she'd already been ready to make-up. Maybe due to the fact that Itachi teased her with some promising roleplay games as a joke. And besides, she's already texted him a few times now but he hasn't replied this time around.

Itachi sees her in school on Monday, but she's sitting alone and doesn't approach him. The rumour mill begins instantly. By the time lunch rolls around, it is established that Itachi broke her heart – it doesn't matter how, because every story concludes with this _fact_. Itachi insists on sitting with Sasuke on the bleachers.

"I heard some of the girls talking in the washroom," Hinata tells him as they all nap in the sun like cats. "That you were with some girl when Izumi went to Paris."

"I think that chick was in the background in one of the photos I posted," Yahiko says thoughtfully.

"Sakura?" Naruto asks for clarification.

"Yeah," Yahiko nods. "And she's the only new face."

"I heard that you were very demeaning to her," Konan says. "All the girls are mad at you now because – you know, feminism. And some guys. Mostly the ones who have a crush on her."

Itachi stares at her blankly. "Huh?"

Konan snaps her fingers impatiently. "You know-! Don't ask me which type, because I've lost count. It's the one where you can't say bad things to a girl."

"That's …" Naruto trails off, tapping his chin with one tanned finger. "I think you mean pseudo-feminism. It's the one where women empowerment is pushed ahead at the expense of the other genders."

"You think she's going to come back," Nagato states flatly.

"I don't think you should take her back." To everyone's surprise, it is Naruto who says it. He elaborates when they all turn to stare at him. "I don't know Izumi all that well, obviously. I still think that you can do better."

Itachi holds his gaze. This is the same boy who told him that he's a robot. He _agreed_ with Izumi.

"Why don't you share with us what the problem is?" Naruto challenges, correctly guessing Itachi's scepticism.

Itachi realises that the blonde wants him to tell them that Izumi has a problem with Sasuke's role in his life. Which also means that Naruto is slyly reminding him that if she does come back, she's going to continue bashing Sasuke, and why would he want that?

"If I may," Zetsu clears his throat. "I typically don't prefer to drag situations, but I'm going to give an opinion here. I think Izumi might have a victim mindset."

And Itachi immediately realises that it's true. How in the world Zetsu figured that out – because Itachi doesn't share his love life with them in detail, but then remembers that Izumi forgot her friends when she befriended Itachi's, and they obviously know her well enough by now.

There's a lull in the conversation as they ponder over Zetsu's hypothesis in their heads. The rest of the lunch passes with them putting forth personal experiences with Izumi and dissecting it down.

* * *

Itachi's piano continues to suffer. Hashirama doesn't scold him, or yell at him, neither does he make him feel bad about it. What Hashirama does is – he lets Itachi play whichever song he wishes to on that given day and correct him on the technicalities. He doesn't teach him a new song. He doesn't push Itachi to compose.

Utakata, on the other hand, is pushing Itachi's limits to his heart's content. Itachi comes home in the following week with bleeding toes and aching limbs. It's not the first time he's shed blood in ballet, and it does keep things real. He realises that he needed it.

The drama with Izumi has tired him out, and all he wants is a break. He ends up watching Frozen II on Friday evening to unwind. Sasuke doesn't join him, though. He's been pouring over Leonardo Da Vinci recently, so Itachi leaves him alone.

As soon as the end credits roll, Itachi sends a quick text to Banana Flyer.

_Watched Frozen II. Want to know what happens?_

He doesn't receive a reply instantly. The time reads 9.02 PM. He decides to pass his time by catching up on schoolwork. Itachi has texted Sakura a little since their evening at Kamui. She didn't ask more about Izumi, though, but she _has_ made comments such as **Your DP is too pretty** or **Maybe you should dress up as Pinocchio – the long nose would look super cute on you**. Itachi doesn't _flirt_ back exactly, but he's said to her once _Your hair is a nice shade,_ sent her the image of cherry blossoms littered on the pavement on another occasion, and just yesterday he'd said _Put up a DP, Coco. It's strange to text a faceless person._ She hasn't, though, retorting with **I don't have any good ones.**

When he's reading up on his Biology textbook, his phone beeps with a text alert. It's 11.30 PM.

**Don't you dare.**

And Itachi laughs because he can just imagine her face, ripe with a violent threat.

_Something happens to Olaf …_

**Oh my god, don't tell me! I'll block you. I swear I'll do it.**

_I'll just visit you at work._

**It's almost midnight.**

_When do you get off?_

**12.30 tonight.**

_Tonight? What time do you usually get off at?_

**Official closing time is 3 AM. So around 4. But it's not always fixed.**

Itachi stares at his screen. He had no idea. He knew that she has to wait until the club shuts, but he had never bothered to connect the dots.

_Isn't it risky?_

**It's alright. I carry a bat :P**

_LOL. Do you have a break right now?_

**Haha no! I'm in the washroom and happened to check my phone.**

_You're gross._

**Yeah as though no one has ever texted anyone from a washroom before, Your Majesty.**

_Don't forget to flush._

**Yes, mommy.**

_Why can't you pick a good name for me? Pretty Boy, Pinocchio, mommy?_

**You call me Banana Flyer and Coco.**

_Coco is a great name._

**Ah yes. Okay, I concede to that. But I like Pinocchio, too.**

_There you go with the flirting again._

**Heh! Okay gotta go. Don't you dare ruin that movie for me, Pretty Boy.**

_Something happens to Olaf …_

This number has blocked you.

Itachi laughs for five minutes straight, and he can't stop grinning even as he dials a different number.

* * *

Itachi is leaning against his expensive black car with tinted windows, wearing a pair of dark denim pants, a red T-shirt, white shoes, and a long, dark beige coat. This is what Sakura comes across as she steps on to the pavement and blankly stares at him.

"What the–?"

Itachi coolly shrugs. "You blocked me. I came to visit."

"You're insane," she tells him, shaking her head, approaching him anyway. "If you've come to rub my face in, then be warned. I pack a good punch."

"And there's the violent threat. I told you, Kakashi will get involved." He nods his head to his car, where Kakashi is sitting inside. He's kind of cross with Itachi at the moment.

"And I told _you_ that I can take two people at a time." She comes to a stand in front of him, and despite Itachi towering over her, he knows her statement to be true. Even though he's never actually witnessed her hit anyone, Sakura just gives off those vibes.

"Do you walk back …" he frowns. "Where do you stay?"

"It's half an hour-ish walk from here."

"I don't see any bat in your hand," he raises an eyebrow.

Sakura smirks, and Itachi gets the joke. _I can take two people at a time._

"I can drop you off tonight, if you want."

"You mean to say, Kakashi can drop me off tonight, if I want."

"Same thing."

She grins. "There are these times when you just remind me that you're so … oblivious to your own fortune – it makes me want to pinch your cheeks."

Itachi immediately straightens up. "Don't you dare."

"We'll see," she says cryptically. "And no, _Kakashi_ doesn't need to drop me off. I can walk just fine."

"If you're sure."

"I am," she nods. "Although … we can go for ice cream? If you're up for it? My treat! I've had this craving for ice cream the whole day."

"Why not just have some at the club?"

Sakura grins sheepishly. "It's too expensive. Besides, extra food from kitchen is one thing, and demanding ice cream is entirely different."

Itachi doesn't particularly feel like having ice cream at the moment. He hesitates a little, but ends up agreeing because she's Sakura, the girl who walked a reindeer of all things, and if she wants to have ice cream, who is he to deny her of it?

He moves to open the door for her, but she stops him. "There's a Gelato right down the street. We can walk."

Itachi opens the door to peer inside at his guardian. Kakashi's eyes are half-lidded with sleep. "Gelato. Down the street. Coming?"

Kakashi scoffs. "On a kid's date? No, thank you."

Itachi flushes and shoves his face inside the car even more. "It's not a date," he hisses lowly.

Kakashi waves his hand dismissively. "Keep telling yourself that. Go on. I'll be there. Hovering around you. Like always."

"No one had forced you to take the job." With that, Itachi shuts the door in his face.

"All good?" Sakura asks him.

"Absolutely. Let's go."

* * *

There are three other people in the ice cream parlour. It's one of those 24x7 places. Sakura does pay for their ice creams and they pick a table near the glass wall. Itachi sees Kakashi standing against the car outside on the street, looking beyond bored.

"Doesn't he want some?" Sakura asks.

"No."

"It feels so weird. He's just standing there, doing nothing."

"It's his job," Itachi shrugs.

"I know. Still. Anyway, why weren't you asleep?"

"I was reading a book."

"Cool. I don't read. I mean, I never got the hang of it. Imagine sitting in one place for hours! That needs some serious amount of patience."

Itachi smirks. "Yeah, I can see why you wouldn't be able to do it. But I was reading a textbook. Sasuke is the one who is into novels and all."

"What are you into?" she asks, ignoring the jab.

"A couple of things."

Sakura raises her eyebrows. "Are you being shy right now?"

Itachi tries not to blush. He doesn't know why but he _is_ feeling shy around her again. He reminds himself that he has no reason to be, but it doesn't really help all that much. He supposes it could be because ever since Sakura told him a bit of her life that day, he's felt _small_ somehow. He can have many things in life with the kind of money his parents own, but Itachi doesn't think he could have ever done the things that she did. Granted, it was out of necessity; they were still some of the coolest and most interesting adventures he's heard until now.

"I play the piano," he tells her, feeling nervous and embarrassed. "And I do ballet. So I'm mostly into music and theatre – including movies."

"But you said you don't read?"

Itachi nods. "Watching theatre, performing … usually, ballet scenes have stories around them. I'm just not a _reader_ exactly."

Itachi thinks that she looks highly impressed, but he can't be sure. "What else? Any sports?"

"Not really. Sasuke is into that. He does karate."

"Huh," she stares at him.

Itachi eats a few bites of his ice cream just to be doing something. He feels the same nervous energy still coursing through him. Sakura's presence – for some reason – has always dominated his senses. Even when they were at Kamui, Itachi hadn't been able to _not_ pay attention to her.

"What about you?" he questions when he can't take the silence any longer.

Sakura bites her lip. "I like music. Movies, too, I suppose. Never really had the chance to figure out the rest."

Itachi inquires her tastes in both, and learns that they have differing preferences in music but almost similar in movies. Sakura asks him more about piano and ballet, and seems genuinely interested in listening to him. Itachi can't help but compare her with the other girls that he's met in his life. There have been some who held decent conversations over the two activities, but the interest would fizzle out eventually. It's refreshing to see that Sakura doesn't mind if he rants over his favourite pieces in great detail, sitting with her chin in her palm, and a tiny concentrated frown between her eyebrows, listening attentively.

When Itachi checks the time later, it reads 1.37 AM. He insists on dropping her off, and says that Kakashi won't mind it one bit. Sakura eventually agrees when she asks Kakashi herself.

"He'll chew me out later," is all he says and takes his seat behind the wheel.

Itachi scowls and holds the door open for Sakura. She slides in, and looks highly uncomfortable on the plush cushions. _Now_ , Itachi does feel as though Kakashi was right in calling it a "date". She gives Kakashi the directions as he revs up the car engine, and it's to a motel.

"They allowed you to stay?" Itachi asks her.

For some reason, she laughs. "Well, to be honest, Sai helps me sneak in and out. His older brother, Shin – he owns the place, right? When I went to try my hand, I wasn't really hoping it would work, but Sai was at the counter. He's a pretty cool guy. He let me stay, anyway, but we have to be careful about his brother finding out."

"So his brother has no idea that you stay in the room?"

Sakura grins like a Cheshire cat. "He believes that there's a highly reclusive young woman staying inside, who shouldn't be bothered."

"That's rather convenient."

"Sai made it possible. He's like sixteen or seventeen himself. So he isn't usually at the counter, because he has school. It was really just pure luck when I went."

The motel is near the highway. It's a small establishment with about ten rooms and the office. All the lights are out, except for in one of the rooms. Kakashi pulls up outside the door that has 4 written on it. Itachi bids her good night and leaves after she's inside the doors.

* * *

On Saturday evening, Sasuke enters his bedroom and aimlessly moves around the space, tinkering with the couch cushions, flapping the curtains, pressing random keys on the synthesizer that Itachi keeps in his bedroom – the grand piano is in another room, pulling out vinyls from the rack only to return them within few seconds.

"What is it?" Itachi asks, lying face down on the bed – he's completely spent – and peeking out at his brother from under his wet hair.

Sasuke doesn't answer immediately. He takes his sweet little time to read another one of the vinyl covers, before flopping down beside Itachi, mirroring his position.

"I'm bored," he groans in the mattress.

"I'm tired," Itachi says.

"I'll take tired over bored any day."

"Then go do something tiring."

He suddenly snorts. "I could call Naruto. He tires me out."

And then Itachi is laughing loudly at the double entendre, face muffled in his cushion, his body shaking. "Shut it. Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

Sasuke tugs on his hair lightly, and Itachi groans.

"Stop it, Sasuke. Don't trouble me."

"What's wrong with your blowdryer?" Sasuke asks, pulling more on Itachi's hair.

Itachi rolls away from him, now on his side, facing him. "Nothing."

"Then why is your hair wet?"

Itachi groans again and suddenly grabs his phone from the bedside table. Ignoring Sasuke's puzzled expression completely, he taps on his screen, holds the phone to his ear.

"Uchiha?" Naruto's confused voice floats through a few moments later. "Why are you calling me? You've never called me."

"What are you up to right now?" Itachi asks directly, forgoing all social niceties.

Pause. "Uh … I'm … I just had dinner. I was about to step out for a walk."

"Perfect. How do you feel about coming over and entertaining my brother?"

Sasuke's eyes widen dramatically and he's abruptly lunging forward to yank the phone from Itachi's fingers. Despite his exhaustion, Itachi manages to slip from under his extended arm – he knows Sasuke won't hit him because Itachi doesn't like getting violent – and quickly runs away from his bed to his bedroom door.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Naruto is saying on the other side, sounding offended and exasperated and nearly angry. "Who do you take me for, Uchiha? Where is Sasuke? Let me talk to him."

Itachi is now running down the hallway towards the library with Sasuke hot on his heels. "Not in that sense, Namikaze," he says with amusement, panting lightly. "Sasuke is bored and doesn't have the guts to call you. I figured I could help him out."

"Itachi, shut up!" Sasuke hisses lowly from behind.

Itachi wrenches open the library door, quickly pushing it shut behind him, but Sasuke barrels from the other side to stop it mid-way.

"He can call me himself, then," Naruto says incredulously.

"Come on, Namikaze," Itachi taunts, bodily holding down the door at this point. "Just come over. If you want, consider this as my invitation, yeah? I want to hang out with you. Is that better?"

"No," Naruto says stubbornly. "Let me speak with Sasuke."

Itachi groans loudly. _Jesus_ , these two can be annoying when they put their mind to it. He taps on the screen to put it on speaker and holds it in Sasuke's view through the gap. "Sasuke, tell him to come."

Sasuke tsks. "Itachi, stop messing around! Naruto, ignore my brother."

"Sasuke, if you want to hang out with me, then say so yourself."

"Of course, I'd like to hang out!" Sasuke says with exasperation, still trying to push the door open. Itachi digs his heels in.

Pause. "Okay, then I don't mind coming over."

Sasuke's weight vanishes entirely. Itachi stumbles back due to the sudden lack of resistance, and the door bangs behind him loudly. There's a moment of silence all around.

"That's perfect," Itachi eventually says in the phone. "I'll send you the location."

* * *

Naruto comes on his bicycle, and Itachi knows this because he's standing outside the main doors with Sasuke to wait for the blonde.

"I didn't have to be here," Itachi mutters for the umpteenth time. One of the security guards is instructing Naruto to leave the bicycle by the gates, against the wall near the cabin.

"You called him."

"For you."

"I didn't ask you to."

"I didn't have to receive him in this manner."

Sasuke tsks. "Itachi, this is the first time he's coming over. You think this going to be smooth? I need you to distract our parents."

"I think I should stick with him."

Sasuke falls quiet, and Itachi knows that he's right in suggesting that Sasuke shouldn't disappear in the house with Naruto when their parents are likely to question the most. If Itachi sneaks him in, it wouldn't be a big deal.

"Yeah," Sasuke replies lowly, sounding –

"Oh my god, your house is freaking huge, teme!" Naruto beams at them, now walking up the short flight of stairs to where they're standing on the large porch. He's wearing a pair of dark denim pants, a black T-shirt with Rubik's cube on it under an unzipped orange jacket with a high black collar, and dark blue shoes. His light blonde hair is as messy as always, and his hands are stuffed inside the jacket pockets. He bounds the last few steps, coming to a stop in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke is smirking back. "You want a tour?"

Naruto nods enthusiastically, and Itachi feels like a third wheel. Nevertheless, he follows the pair, because leaving Naruto alone with Sasuke around the house will raise too many questions and he's too tired to deal with them at this moment. Besides, Sasuke seems to be enjoying himself, and Itachi doesn't want that bubble to burst.

When they're passing by their father's study, though, Fugaku seems to be stepping out, and he pauses with surprise.

Itachi feels Sasuke tense beside him and his own apprehension grow.

"What are you boys up to?" he asks, frowning, shooting Naruto questioning glances.

"Dad, this is Naruto," Itachi introduces. "I called him over. He's a friend."

And Itachi is so utterly thankful when Naruto doesn't deny it – since, technically, it _is_ true – but merely extends an arm to their father.

"Hello, Sir. I'm Namikaze Naruto."

Fugaku shakes it curtly. "Uchiha Fugaku. Do you attend their school?"

Naruto nods warily. "Yes, Sir. And I'm also in Sasuke's karate class."

"Is that right?" Fugaku raises his eyebrows slightly. "Well, don't let me keep you boys. Itachi, a word?"

Sasuke and Naruto leave immediately. As soon as they're out of earshot, Fugaku turns to Itachi with a hardened expression. "You don't have to cover up for Sasuke. If he wants to call someone over, it's fine."

Itachi nods, doesn't believe a single word of it, and excuses himself. Fugaku doesn't push. Itachi finds them both in his bedroom, and Naruto is staring at Sasuke with a disbelieving look on his face.

"Are you serious?"

Itachi shuts the door behind him, and flops down on the bed again.

"What did he say?" Sasuke asks him immediately. He's stretched out on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Naruto is hovering near the desk uncertainly.

"That I don't need to cover for you."

Sasuke snorts. "Yeah, right."

Naruto insists on going to Sasuke's bedroom because the tour isn't complete, and besides, he wants to see how Sasuke lives. Itachi supports the idea wholeheartedly and throws them both out, before promptly passing out – _finally_.

* * *

Monday evening

Itachi is waiting on the pavement for Kakashi, checking his phone. Izumi has sent five texts throughout the day.

**Good morning :)**

**At least wish me back. That's not a big thing.**

**Why don't you sit in the cafeteria anymore? You don't have to go to such lengths to ignore my existence.**

**I can see you with Namikaze. What is this? Some sort of revenge against me?**

**Your piano class must be over by now. How did it go?**

He ignores them all, opting to open his social media feed. Naruto's latest post is the first thing he sees, and he pauses to check it out. It's essentially a rant over the trending debate whether stand-up comedians are pushing their way into politics, and whether they should be stopped. Naruto has typed out this whole thing that discusses what stand-up comedians do, what politics means, what politicians do, expanding on what freedom of speech means, before concluding that "if it is offending you on a personal level, please choose not to watch it" and then connecting the principle of it with another trending debate of similar nature.

Kakashi honks the car and Itachi startles a bit. He quickly taps on the "like" button, settling in the backseat.

Izumi sends another text later that night. **Now you're liking his posts?! But not replying to me?!**

He groans in his pillow.

* * *

Tuesday evening

Itachi is bandaging his feet when Sasuke enters his bedroom, looking annoyed.

"Dude, Izumi is texting _me_ now," he complains, falling down on the couch as usual. "What the hell?"

"Don't," Itachi warns immediately. "Just don't. Not today. I can't be bothered with her right now."

Sasuke holds his gaze, nods slowly. "You need help with that?"

Itachi turns to his feet again, applying more cream. "I'm almost done. Can you do my math homework?"

"Itachi, there's _so much_! You should have told me when I was doing my own!"

"Sasuke, please," Itachi nearly begs. "I'll pay you."

Sasuke visibly considers. "What do I get?"

Itachi thinks for a bit. Paying the other for favours is usually a tricky business – mostly due to the fact that they can get their own things quite easily. Which is why their favours typically require a personal touch.

"I'll pose for your painting assignment," Itachi eventually offers. Sasuke has to paint a portrait, and he's been stressing over whom to pick. He's sketched Hinata thousands of times by now and Suigetsu can't sit still even if his life depended on it. Sasuke _has_ sketched Itachi a little over the years, but Itachi always points out that Sasuke can simply sit in front of the mirror, and make a few twitches.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. "Really? You mean it?"

Itachi nods, packing up his first-aid kit. "Tell me where and when."

Sasuke's face splits in a grin.

* * *

Wednesday evening

Sasuke makes him sit at the piano, and asks him to play _Fur Elise_.

"Why this one specifically?" Itachi questions, but takes a steady breath, stretching his fingers lightly.

"It's your jam," Sasuke explains. He's set up his easel, color palette, and other tools quite close to the grand piano.

Naruto snorts from beside him. "Beethoven is your jam?"

Itachi raises an eyebrow at him snidely. "You're not required, Namikaze."

Naruto beams at him, holding his book up. "I know."

Itachi tsks with irritation and decides to ignore his existence. Sasuke has invited him, saying that Naruto has been insisting on watching Sasuke paint for _ages_ apparently, and their parents aren't home and _isn't this the perfect chance?_

"Aren't you a little too close?" he addresses Sasuke.

Sasuke looks up from the canvas, eyes steady and calculating, and Itachi instantly recognizes the zone that Sasuke disappears inside whenever he paints. "I'm only capturing your fingers and a little of your face. Not the rest of it."

Naruto settles on the armchair that he's requested for, from one of the maids, chin propped on his hands, dutifully falling silent.

Itachi nods and begins to play.

* * *

Thursday evening

Itachi is on his way home from ballet. When his phone beeps, he pulls it out and stares blankly at his screen. It's Izumi again.

**Kim came to me today and told me how you fucked her. What the hell? You're cheating on me now? This has to stop. You're going out of your way just to hurt me!**

Kakashi shoots him a glare through the rear-view mirror when Itachi throws his phone at the front console. The metal device hits the volume panel before bumping its way under the passenger seat.

They don't go home. Kakashi takes him to Sasuke's karate class without a word.

Itachi spends his time watching his brother engaged in a duel match with one of the other students, wearing his white robes, a black belt around his waist, and Naruto keeps shooting him suspicious looks from his place with the rest of the class. It's not the first time Itachi has visited Sasuke in this manner, but it is the first time Naruto seems to be questioning his presence.

After class, Sasuke asks him if he wants to eat out, extending the offer to Naruto. Naruto tries to refuse but eventually agrees when Sasuke says he wants the blonde to tag along.

They visit Shisui's restaurant, Kotoamatsukami, and Naruto glues himself to Sasuke, feeling utterly out of place. In the middle of their dinner, Shisui shows up, wearing a steel grey suit and white shirt.

"This is Naruto," Sasuke introduces.

"Are you Sasuke's boyfriend?" Shisui smiles warmly. "He's never brought a date before."

Naruto flushes, rubbing the back of his neck. "No! No, I'm his friend. Their friend."

Itachi requests for two more plates of dumplings and Shisui laughs, "Bad day?"

* * *

Friday evening

Itachi hesitates for a good ten minutes, before sending the text. _Would you like to meet?_

Sakura replies a little while later when Itachi is lounging on his bed. Sasuke has already gone off to sleep.

**I'll get free at 12.30**

It's 11.02 PM now. He types out. _That's fine._

**Okay. See you then.**

Itachi is waiting for her like the last time. She greets him a little tiredly. "Hey."

He opens the door to his car for her. "Let's go somewhere. My treat."

She doesn't protest, merely slides in, throwing a polite 'hello' to Kakashi. Itachi settles beside her and shuts the door behind him. He tells Kakashi to drive to any nearby Starbucks.

Sakura orders tea, and Itachi does the same.

"How was your week?" she asks, drumming her fingers on the table.

Itachi doesn't tell her about Izumi. Instead, he tells her about Sasuke's assignment, his own ballet practices, and asks her how her week was.

Their orders arrive. Sakura takes a deep gulp of the tea before replying.

"Sai and I went to the nearby park. He wanted to show me the duck pond."

"What's so special about a duck pond?" Itachi asks with confusion.

Sakura snorts. "Absolutely nothing. He wanted to point that out to me."

Itachi stares at her. "He took you all the way there just to tell you how pointless it was?"

She begins to giggle. "Yeah."

And then she tells him how she met Deidara and Mei, her friends, and they spent an evening chasing a dog.

"Why would you do that?" Itachi asks blankly.

"Just," she shrugs. "I mean, we weren't troubling him. It was all really playful. We named him Professor Tails. And I have this feeling that Professor Tails likes this one poodle because he kept circling around there."

"Right."

"Have you ever had pets?" she asks, appearing suddenly inspired. "You must have had tons!"

Itachi hesitates. "Not _tons_. Sasuke and I had this pet fish once. But it died within three weeks."

"What? Why?"

He tells her that they completely forgot its existence for days. They were six years old at that time, and Sasuke took it badly. He forced Itachi into holding a funeral in their bathroom, and Obito and Kakashi – both sixteen at that time – along with Shisui – who was in college – joined them. Their parents were away on a trip, and when they returned, Fugaku offered to adopt a dog instead, but Sasuke refused.

Sakura asks him more about Kakashi, and Itachi explains, "He became my guardian when I turned thirteen, so it's quite recent that way. He's … twenty-seven now. And he's Obito's friend from middle school, before Kakashi joined army school. I've known him my whole life."

They spend a good hour at the café, before Itachi offers to drop her off again. However, this time when they reach the motel, Itachi steps out and follows her. She doesn't comment.

The room is tiny. Itachi believes that his bathroom is of similar size as this room – more or less. It has a single queen sized bed in the middle, a wardrobe, a desk, a chair, a side-table with a lamp on it, and an attached bathroom. Sakura dumps her black coat on the bed, and Itachi shuts the door behind him.

"Are you planning to hang out with me for the rest of the night?" she asks, bouncing on the bed lightly. "Because I might pass out any second now."

"Do they do pest control here?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Is it hygienic?"

Sakura groans and falls back on the bed with her hands covering her face. "Is it hygienic to your standards? Probably not. Is it hygienic enough to stay in with the money I have? Absolutely yes."

Itachi hovers for a little bit, but then carefully sits beside her on the bed, and lies down, still wearing his coat. He tugs on her wrist.

Sakura easily complies, and Itachi traces his fingers across her palm to intertwine their fingers.

She stares at him. "You're holding my hand, Pretty Boy."

"Yes. Is that okay?"

Sakura smiles. "Yes."

They look at each other.

"You have a girlfriend," she says quietly.

"Not anymore," he replies in the same tone. He doesn't know why they're speaking in hushed voices, as though sharing a secret, but he doesn't want to break the spell.

"Really? I told you to get her a diamond ring."

Itachi chuckles. "She has her own jewellery chain. She didn't need me to give her a diamond ring."

"Gucci purse, then."

"Do _you_ want a Gucci purse?" he raises one eyebrow in question.

Without letting go of his hand, Sakura turns on her side, props up her head in her other palm, and says, "No."

Itachi mirrors her position. "What do you want then?"

"Are you willing to give it?" she challenges.

"Try me."

She holds his gaze. "I want you to kiss me."

Somewhere in the back of his head, Itachi thinks that he'd been waiting for Sakura this entire time to say those words. And now that she's done it, he wastes no time in leaning forward, pulling out his hand from hers, only to cup her jaw, and kisses her fully on the lips.

Sakura immediately reciprocates. Encouraged, Itachi pushes her onto her back and climbs on top of her body. His full length is flush against hers, and Sakura moans in his mouth. The kiss is rough and heavy and desperate. Itachi tugs the hairband from her hair because he wants to bury his hands in it, wants to pull, wants to bunch it up and let it fall apart. Sakura's hands, in return, roam freely over his body. They're on his neck, on his shoulders, on his back. She slides them inside his coat and pushes his T-shirt up.

Itachi breaks the kiss and straightens up, straddling her. Sakura's hair is a mess and sprawled against the bedsheet. Her lips are red and swollen, and the sight is one of the most enticing ones Itachi has seen until now. He shrugs off his jacket and removes his T-shirt.

Sakura's face darkens with hunger. Itachi relishes in the attention and mentally thanks Utakata for pushing Itachi to his heart's content. What are some bleeding toes when Sakura is watching him in this manner?

As if sensing his thoughts, she declares, "Ballet is the best freaking creation in the world till date."

And Itachi laughs, moving from her body to sit on the bed. He crosses his arms across his naked chest – Sakura visibly pouts – and tells her, "Your turn."

Without tearing her eyes away, she slowly sits up and mirrors his position. Her T-shirt comes off instantly and Itachi rakes his eyes across her skin. She's wearing a plain white cotton bra, and he wonders why Konan bothers visiting France to buy lingerie because clearly it doesn't matter – when plain white cotton bras are just as appealing as an expensive Victoria's Secret piece.

Itachi slides his fingers from the top of her pants, up her waist, tracing the side of her breast, her collarbone, her neck, and buries them in her hair once more. He leans forward to graze his lips lightly over hers, and then makes his way down her freckled cheek and freckled neck.

"You want to know what else I'm into?" he whispers huskily.

"Yeah?" she breathes out.

"This," he says and sucks on her thundering pulse.

Sakura hisses and moans and the sound goes straight to Itachi's gut. His lower stomach tightens. Once he's satisfied with his hickey, he pulls back to admire his work.

Sakura doesn't let him do that for long, though, because she yanks his head up to give him a searing kiss. Itachi moves slightly to get more comfortable on the bed and wrenches her forward on to his lap. His hands wrap around her waist, her hair falls around them like a curtain, tickling his bare shoulders. He unclasps the hook on her bra and Sakura shifts so that the straps can be removed and Itachi throws the material somewhere on the ground.

Now with her naked chest flush against his, Itachi asks in her mouth, "Are you a virgin?"

"No."

"Good," he says. "Because I don't plan on going gentle."

Sakura moans and trails her lips down the column of his throat. "Thank freaking Christ."

* * *

They have sex thrice. After the first time, where she rides him, they're lying on the bed side-by-side, breathing heavily. Itachi turns to face her, and the full body blush is still fading away, and decides that he doesn't want that to happen. So he climbs on top of her, twisting and pinching and sucking and biting, and Sakura gasps out his name – his actual name, not _Pretty Boy_ or _Pinocchio_.

Then Itachi falls on her, with his face in her neck, her legs still wrapped around his hips.

Sakura giggles suddenly, and breathes out, "I can't believe your girlfriend let this go."

Itachi groans and bites her already bruised neck, grumbling, "I don't want to think of my ex right now, thank you very much."

"Then what do you want to do?"

He pulls back to look her straight in the face. "Take you from behind against the wall."

So they do it for the third time.

* * *

When Itachi settles back in the car, Kakashi doesn't comment. He drives him to the house, drops him off at the main entrance, and Itachi makes his way through the quiet rooms – it's a little past 4 right now – towards his bedroom, undresses completely, takes a quick shower, and promptly passes out on his bed.

* * *

On Saturday, they plan to go to Kamui again. Sasuke declines the offer, though. They reserve a room this time around, so Obito leads them straight to PR8 when they arrive.

As soon as Hidan leaves with their orders, Itachi pulls out his phone.

He reads Izumi's latest stream of texts.

**I miss you. Please let's get back together. :(**

**I said I'm sorry.**

**What more do you want from me, Itachi?**

He ignores them all. He sends a text to Banana Flyer. _When is your break?_

The reply is instant. **I'm on break right now. What's up?**

Itachi gets to his feet. "I'll be back," he says and leaves without bothering to explain. Sakura is sitting in the Exit staircase again, head bowed over her phone.

He clears his throat. Her head snaps up.

"Hi," he smirks.

She blinks and smirks back. "Hi."

* * *

They're in the stall. It's a squeeze but that's hardly the issue right now. Itachi is holding her up against one of the walls, her legs wrapped around his hips, her hands digging into his back.

"Did you tell anyone about this?" he asks in her mouth.

"No. Who was I going to tell?"

Itachi pushes into her more. "I don't know. Namikaze, maybe?"

She bites his earlobe. "Do you want me to?"

And he pulls back completely with a darkened face, and growls, "Don't tease me. I'll make you pay for that."

She doesn't back down. "Yeah? What will you do?"

He steps away. Itachi grabs her wrist and yanks her off the wall. He pulls the door open, and drags her out behind him. There's no one else in the bathroom presently.

"What are you doing!" she hisses, twisting her arm.

He tightens his hold. Itachi pushes her against the counter and locks eyes with her in the mirror. Sakura is panting heavily. His nose skims her earlobe.

"What if Obito is to walk through those doors right now, and he sees you?"

She doesn't answer. Itachi thrusts from the back, and she cries out.

"What will he think of you? _So unprofessional,_ Coco." he continues. "Do you want your Boss to walk in?"

She still doesn't answer and he pounds harder. Sakura braces herself with her hands on the lip of the granite stone, and Itachi's hands will probably leave marks on her hips. He sets a fast rhythm after that and she's a squirming mess by the time he's done.

When they're both dressed and at the door, she hits him on the shoulder. "You'd locked the door, you ass."

He grabs her arm, spins her on her heels, and backs her against it. "I prefer to keep my activities private." Then he smirks down at her. "Although, I'm not averse to the idea of taking you right here. There could be people standing on the other side at the moment. I'm not sure how thick the wood is."

She unbuttons his pants. "Let's find out."

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Deals with controversial topics.

Utakata is beyond happy with Itachi's practice sessions.

"Whatever you're doing," he says, "keep doing it."

He continues to praise him in great detail, and says that if Itachi makes such steady progress, he definitely has a good chance at Youth America Grand Prix.

" _But_ ," he stresses meaningfully, "we need to increase our hours. It was alright until now since we weren't training for anything."

So on top of Tuesdays, Thursdays, _some_ weekends, now Itachi finds himself practising on Fridays, as well. His weekend is marked with at least half-day training sessions, from 7.30 in the mornings till 5.30 in the evenings at most. His toes bleed so heavily by the end of the second week that he can map out the trail on the dance floor as he jumps and spins across space. He honestly considers wearing the Pointe shoes even though they're typically worn by ballerinas, not ballerinos.

* * *

Itachi meets up with Sakura again on the following Friday. He picks her up from outside Kamui, just like the first two times and Sakura doesn't protest when he pushes her into the plush cushions of the backseat, kissing her deeply, as Kakashi drives them to her motel room.

"How was your day?" Itachi asks between his kisses.

Sakura's hands are fisted in his shirt. "Mmm… it was fine."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Kakashi increases the volume of _Clair De Lune_ playing in the background, and Itachi grins against her jaw. When they reach the motel, Itachi follows her inside. As soon as the door shuts behind him, he pulls her close to him.

"So listen," he begins while leaving, buttoning up his pants. "My mentor – he's increased my timings for practice."

Sakura is sitting on the edge of the bed, legs swinging back and forth. She's wearing only her T-shirt and panties, her hair mussed and wild, and Itachi wonders whether he could get away with clicking a picture on his phone. He hesitates, decides against it, and shoves his hands in his pockets instead.

"Okay."

"I need to rearrange a few things," he says.

"Okay."

"I might not meet you for a while."

Pause. "Oh. That's fine. It's not like you're obligated to explain anything to me."

Itachi nods. "Right. Of course."

* * *

On Saturday, he sends her a text before sleeping. Sasuke is lying beside him on the bed, reading another one of Jiraiya's books. Chopin's notes flow through the stereo, warming Itachi from the inside out.

_Hello Coco_

She replies ten minutes later, when Itachi is almost asleep.

**Heyyyy Preeti Boi**

Itachi stares at his screen, blinking a few times to make sure he's reading correctly.

_Uh…?_

**I'm drunk a little**

He calls her immediately, heart thudding for some reason, feeling abruptly awake. Sakura picks up on the second ring.

"Who are you with?" he demands directly. Sasuke raises his eyebrows at the tone. Itachi shakes his head lightly, schools his features, gets to his feet, and leaves the room.

Meanwhile, Sakura is giggling on the other end. "S'sori and everyone! Dei got a job! So we are celebratin'!"

Itachi relaxes, leaning his back on the wall in the hallway outside his bedroom. "Don't do anything stupid."

Sakura laughs harder. "Too late!"

"What did you do?" he asks warily, rubbing one hand on his forehead.

"Hey, wait!" she says to someone on her side. "I'm coming!" Pause. "It's a friend, okay? Chill the fuck out!" Pause. "From the club, _geez_! Stop acting like my dad, Kakuzu!" Longer pause. "Whatever. Just hold on a fucking minute." When she addresses Itachi again, she sounds annoyed. "Sorry. Wow, that killed my buzz."

Itachi slides down to the floor, not knowing what to say, so he hears her breathe, instead.

"Is everything okay?" he asks eventually. "Do you need me to pick you up? I can call Kakashi."

"No. No, it's nothing," she replies, then takes a deep breath. "How was practice today?"

He wants to know where she is, how much she's drunk, what stupid thing she pulled off, and why her mood went to the gutter in two seconds flat.

"It was fine," he tells her.

Silence.

"I better let you go," he continues. "Have fun."

"Yeah. I will."

Silence.

"Good night," she offers softly.

"Good night."

Sasuke questions who it was as soon as Itachi re-joins him.

"Konan," he lies, not knowing why.

Sasuke lets it go.

* * *

Itachi and his friends are sitting with Sasuke's little gang – they've taken up the habit since Itachi refuses to stay in the cafeteria where Izumi sits alone at a table, the rumour mill is still on-going, and Izumi doesn't approach him in school –

Until now.

She walks towards them with obvious purpose, face set in stone, and Itachi warily straightens up as she reaches their group.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Okay." He doesn't move.

"I meant in private."

"Then, no." From the corner of his eyes, he sees Naruto grin approvingly. Itachi is confident that they're both thinking the same thing: Izumi won't dare say anything about Sasuke in front of Sasuke. Even if she does, she won't get away with it.

"Don't be a child, Itachi," Izumi says with irritation. "You don't even reply to my texts."

"You broke-up, Izumi," he reminds her. "I moved on."

"I was just angry at you!" she exclaims. "You took that seriously?"

"Weren't you the one who told me that I should take you seriously?"

Itachi has no idea where all this anger is coming from, but he feels smugly satisfied when Izumi's face turns green and then red.

Sasuke cuts in before she can reply. "I think you should leave."

That doesn't sit well with her, either. "This is none of your fucking business, jerk."

And Itachi's insides turn cold. "One more word out of your mouth," he says dangerously. " _One_ word to Sasuke, I will start taking _everything_ personally. Am I clear?"

Izumi looks ready to explode with rage. "You're such a fucking piece of shit, Itachi! When the fuck will you ever treat me with respect?"

Sasuke is already on his feet, and Itachi quickly grabs his arm. "When you do something to deserve it," he tells Izumi.

"I've done so many things for you!" she cries out. "I reply to your texts regardless of time or place or context. I'm always there for you when you want to hang out. And you never initiate on your own! The only thing you wanted from me was sex! Is that all I was to you? I freaking _loved_ you, and you never bothered with me! You never cared about me! I tried so hard to gel with your friends for you, and you never appreciated it! I cancelled so many trips for your sake. I never hounded you for gifts or anything. All I wanted was your attention. Was that so hard? Paying attention to your girlfriend is a given! Even then, I had to beg for it! And now, when I said some things in anger, you were supposed to understand me! You were supposed to calm me down! You were supposed to realise that I didn't mean the break-up!"

She's breathing heavily by the time she's done with her speech, and tears are flowing down her face. It's truly a contemptible sight to witness. Itachi has no idea what to do with her anymore.

Eventually, Hinata gets to her feet to climb down the bleachers.

"Hey, Princess!" Suigetsu grabs her arm quickly. "What are you doing?"

Hinata crouches down to speak with him. Itachi is close enough to hear her. "We can't just leave her be, Su. She's obviously distressed."

Suigetsu holds her gaze for a few seconds in a silent question, but retracts his hand.

Hinata wraps an arm around Izumi's shoulders, and whispers in her ear. Izumi is shaking her head, trying to wipe the tears, and hiccupping.

"I'm going to take her to Dr. Orochimaru," Hinata calls out. "She needs to calm down."

To Itachi's surprise, Konan goes with the pair. Now, only the boys are present – silent, awkward, not knowing what to say.

"You need to pick girls carefully," Kisame finally mutters. "No psychos anymore, please."

"She's not a psycho," Zetsu rolls his eyes. "She needs help. Did you not hear her right now?"

"It's like she didn't have a life of her own," Yahiko says with wonder.

"She was depending on Itachi for everything," Nagato adds. "I mean, he was her boyfriend, his friends were her friends, and she would only hang out with us. She should have had her own social circle, as well."

"A back-up system," Suigetsu nods.

"Actually," Naruto begins seriously. "I've seen this happen many times. Teme, you remember Ino? She left our class like two weeks ago? I spoke with her a few times, and she used to complain about her boyfriend a lot. And most of it was very similar to what Izumi just said. There were others from our class who would agree with her, and console her, and tell her how her boyfriend is an asshole. I mean, it's like they're trying to normalise this, you know?

"Even in our school, I've seen many students going through this. And not just that – there are so many posts on social media these days that try to glorify this kind of behaviour. I mean, it's quite unhealthy, isn't it? It puts a lot of pressure on their partners. Am I right, Itachi?"

"Are you planning to go into politics, Namikaze?" Itachi asks dryly.

"Shut up," he replies without heat. "Seriously, this needs to change, though."

"Change begins within you," Sasuke quips and grins mischievously.

Naruto tsks. "You're all hopeless. If you keep letting this shit go, it's only going to snowball. And if you want to quote famous people so much, I have another one for you: What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?"

_"Shouldn't I ask you that? You're the one who made assumptions about me and acted accordingly, when, in fact, I've never done anything to you."_

_Naruto raises his eyebrows coolly. "Apart from standing and doing nothing when the others harassed me, yes, you're quite right."_

None of them responds. Itachi thinks that, like him, they're all remembering the times when Namikaze was troubled in school and they'd ignored it, because it wasn't their problem to deal with.

When it's almost time for lunch period to be over, Yahiko looks at Naruto seriously, and says, "There's a reason we call you Kitsune. Don't forget that."

Naruto grins.

* * *

Itachi waits by his phone, glancing at it every two minutes. He needs to finish his homework, but Sakura should be calling any minute now. She said she would after her shift ends.

When the room suddenly fills with the shrill noise of his ringtone, Itachi snatches it, pauses, lets it ring a few more times, and then taps on the green icon.

"Hey," he greets as coolly as possible.

"Hey!" her voice is cheery and Itachi feels himself grinning. "What are you up to?"

"Pulling a late night," he replies, standing up. He walks to his window and settles on the ledge, one leg propped up and the other dangling aimlessly. "Sasuke doesn't want to help me anymore."

She laughs. "I'm sure he has his own things to do."

"Where are you?"

"Walking to the motel. It's a nice night."

"Yeah," he agrees. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

He traces his right index finger on the metal languidly, leg still dangling, looking out at the silent and dark backyard of his house. "Do you like Cinderella?"

She hesitates. "Not really."

"Why not?"

"I can empathise with her situation to some extent, the helplessness she feels after her father's death, and her step-family stepping in to make her life worse. But the rest of it is too … I might rant. Is that okay?"

"Rant away," he smiles.

"Okay, so the most ridiculous point is that the Prince can't recognize her after the ball. That puts way too much importance on her appearance – I mean, it's all nice make-up, isn't it? That the Fairy Godmother does? The nice hair, the nice dress, the nice shoes. And he has to run around the town to fit the glass slipper on every woman? Even if I let that go, it _is_ a fairytale after all, but it's also showing how boys won't take notice of girls if they're not conventionally pretty enough. Then the way she desperately wants to attend the ball – for what? To meet the Prince and hope he'll fall for her? Their happily ever after doesn't make sense, either. Because neither of the two really _know_ each other. This is why I love Elsa. You remember how she tells Anna – you can't marry a man you just met. That line kills me every time," she giggles. "Cinderella might have been good before, but today? I don't think so."

"It's the same for a lot of movies, though," Itachi points out. "The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. They all revolve around the girl waiting for the boy to rescue her. Little Mermaid gives up her voice and the boy ends up rejecting her."

"Actually, I like The Little Mermaid for that reason," she says seriously. "It's harsh and cruel. It tells you that you shouldn't sacrifice something so important for someone who wouldn't appreciate it. Not to mention, the boy liked her when she was a mermaid – as she was."

"Why do you like Frozen?" he questions, thinking that he might already have figured out the answer.

"Elsa is a Queen," Sakura replies instantly. "And I don't mean her political status. She represents power, struggle, and magic. Imagine if a Disney Prince comes to her rescue. She'll ice him up before he can finish a single sentence. I'm not saying that she should stay alone forever, but that she deserves someone as equally amazing as her. A typical Disney Prince just won't make the cut."

They stay on the call until Sakura reaches her motel room, discussing random things, before Itachi regrettably says that he should get back to his studies.

* * *

Sasuke soon learns that it is Naruto's birthday.

"I'm throwing you a party," Sasuke declares when they're standing in the parking lot.

Naruto flushes. "You don't have to do that."

"Don't be a spoilsport," Yahiko claps him on his back. "It's for all of us."

"I was hoping to meet up with some of my other friends," Naruto says sheepishly.

"Just call them, too," Sasuke rolls his eyes. Kisame twitches but stays quiet. "It's nothing big. I'll book an overnight resort. We can head there by six-ish."

"Oh. Right. Can I talk to you?"

Naruto drags Sasuke a little away from their group. They watch as Sasuke laughs at whatever Naruto says, rolls his eyes, and answers. Naruto blushes harder, rubbing the back of his neck.

"All set," Sasuke says when they return. "I'll bring Naruto with me. He wants to pick up Sakura on the way. And who was that?"

"Gaara."

"Right. Whoever Gaara is. I mean, his neighbour."

Itachi tells them that he'll join after his ballet class.

* * *

Sakura is wearing a patterned, light green blouse tucked in a black pencil skirt. Her hair is down for the occasion, and Itachi thinks that she's the prettiest in the room. He hasn't met her in the last two weeks, and they've only spoken on the phone twice. He feels the same nervous energy coursing through him as he pulls out his phone to send her a text.

_You look pretty._

She's standing on the other side of the room with Hinata and Konan. Sasuke is making Naruto dance in the middle, along with Yahiko, Nagato, and Suigetsu. Kisame is drinking by the minibar. Zetsu is sitting with Gaara – a stoic redhead – in equal silence on the couch in one corner.

Sakura checks her phone, smirks, and types out a reply. Itachi's phone beeps. He's standing by the window with a pint of beer.

**You look sexy enough to eat.**

He laughs softly as a thrill shoots down his spine. Itachi is wearing a pair of distressed denim, white button down, white shoes. His hair is tied in a bun, and he's put black eyeliner. He actually arrived only ten minutes ago, the last one to join.

_You're welcome to do that._

**Washroom.**

Itachi sneaks out of the room. There's a washroom at the end of the hall, and another on the floor above. Sasuke has booked a private resort, thankfully, so that they won't have to bother with other guests.

 _First floor_ , he sends her and climbs the staircase.

Sakura enters ten minutes later. "Do you want me to lock the door?" she asks slyly.

Itachi doesn't respond. He strides to her and watches with amusement as her face darkens.

"Did you miss me?"

"You wish."

He extends his right index finger and pushes her hair aside, revealing one side of her neck. He then proceeds to graze her skin lightly down her collarbone, and pops open the top-most button.

"Did you miss me?"

"You wish."

He pops open the next three buttons. She's wearing a plain black bra this time, the half-revealed valley between her breasts turning him on more than anything else.

He untucks her shirt. Doesn't bother with the rest of the buttons. He pushes the thin fabric of the bra aside to reveal her right breast and cups it in his palm.

"Did you miss me?"

Her breath hitches. "You wish."

He leans down to take her erect nipple in his mouth and sucks harshly. Her hands fly to his head to hold him in place. Itachi snakes his other hand down to the end of her skirt, caressing the skin there teasingly. He lets go of her breast and puts some distance between them again.

"You'll have to answer."

"I did."

His teeth clench. Sakura is glaring at him defiantly the way she always does. He rakes his eyes across her torso and admires the sight in silence. It doesn't last for long, though, because she shrugs off her shirt entirely, unclasps her bra, and steps out of her skirt.

Smirking, she asks him, "Did you miss me?"

Itachi's eyes narrow. "You wish."

Then they're both closing the distance at the same time, and Itachi picks her up, carries her to the counter and places her on it. The kiss is aggressive as they both fight for dominance, and Itachi loves the power play. Izumi had been submissive most of the times, and Itachi thought that it was what he wanted. With Sakura, though, he discovered that his taste might not be as straightforward.

When Itachi enters her, she bites down on his shoulder to muffle her voice. He yanks her by the hair, and growls, "Look at me."

Sakura does. She holds his gaze and doesn't let go, long after he comes undone.

* * *

Izumi is at the gate. Sasuke snaps in the intercom, and she's let inside. Itachi is sitting with Zetsu, nursing his fourth beer of the night. Gaara has moved on to speak with Naruto and Suigetsu by the minibar. Kisame has stopped in the middle where he's been dancing with Konan and Yahiko. Nagato, Hinata, and Sakura are sitting by the indoor mini swimming pool, with their feet dipped in water.

Sasuke is waiting for Izumi by the entrance of the living room. She enters, wearing a tiny silver glitter dress and matching strappy heels.

"What are you doing here?" he asks her guardedly.

She ignores him and heads straight for Itachi. "I can't believe you didn't invite me! I never would have known if Yahiko hadn't posted a photo online. What the hell, Itachi?"

Sakura, Hinata, and Nagato are rising to their feet.

"This party is thrown for Naruto by Sasuke," he tells her. "Since you're here, how about wishing the birthday boy and thanking the host for letting you in?"

She glares. "You should have been the one to invite me."

"Izumi, this is getting tiring."

"I'm still your girlfriend, you jerk!"

Sakura stiffens in the corner of his eyes. Itachi takes a steadying breath. "We broke up. _You_ broke up."

Her hands flail in the air with impatience and anger. "I told you that I wasn't serious about it! Which part of this don't you understand?"

Naruto interferes by stepping in the middle. "Izumi, can we just enjoy for tonight?" he says nicely. "Sasuke has taken a lot of effort. I want to make sure that it isn't taken for granted."

Izumi laughs in his face. "A lot of effort? All he did was make a phone call, Namikaze. But you won't understand how it works, obviously. Things are different up here. Don't let this go to your head. Sasuke has thrown parties for Hinata and Suigetsu countless of times. You're nothing special. So calm the fuck down, and move aside. I need to speak with my asshole of a boyfriend. Henceforth, don't talk to me. Know your goddamn place."

Sakura and Sasuke are already moving towards the pair. Itachi can't see Naruto's face, but he sees the way his shoulders stiffen at her words.

Sakura stands close to her. "Hey, are you in denial or something?" she snarls. Sasuke has grabbed onto Naruto's arm. "Maybe Sasuke can _make a phone call_ and put you in an asylum? That's how things work, right? _Up here_? And if you didn't want to break up with Itachi, then maybe you shouldn't have!"

Izumi gives Sakura such a withering look that Itachi is surprised she isn't punched in the face instantly. "None of your business. Who the hell are you, anyway?"

Naruto has the presence of mind to grab Sakura's elbow, the way Sasuke is doing with him. Itachi almost wants to smile at the sight.

"Don't ruin the party, Izumi," Sasuke warns her. "I won't hesitate to throw you out. Kakashi and Kimimaro are right outside, you should know that."

Itachi wants to pat him on the back. Izumi realises that he does mean it, so she throws one last glare at the three of them, before marching to the minibar and pulling out a bottle of vodka.

"I don't want to," Zetsu mutters from beside him in the tense silence that follows, "but I blame you."

* * *

Izumi is left alone until Hinata takes pity on her and joins her at the bar table. Sasuke is trying to salvage the mood by turning on the music again, and Naruto obeys without complaint. Sakura and Nagato return to the deck and dip their toes in. Yahiko and Kisame come to him at one point and force him off the couch.

"You're the fucking Black Swan," Kisame rolls his eyes. "Dance."

Itachi's toes are still not fully healed, actually. His limbs are aching from all the spins and the jumps and the dance routines, not to mention his bathroom shenanigan right when he'd arrived, and he really doesn't feel up for it. All he wants to do it sit like a sack of potatoes for the rest of the night.

Sasuke throws him a sly grin and plays _Can't Take My Eyes Off You_ by Frankie Valli and Itachi thinks that maybe he could postpone his Being A Vegetable plans a little. Sasuke sure does know how to get him to move. So Itachi starts to groove to the music, and Naruto catcalls openly, beaming.

Soon, he notices that Sakura and Nagato join them. Even Zetsu and Gaara are pulled in. Suigetsu wrenches Hinata off from Izumi, cheering _Come on, Princess!_ Half an hour into it, everyone is laughing breathlessly, sweat trickling down the side of their necks, but no one really stops, anyway.

At one point, Sakura is to his front, and Itachi allows his chest to be flush against her back – just for a few moments – but he feels her breath hitch, and he pulls back quickly before anyone reads too much into it.

And then suddenly Itachi feels someone tugging on his arm with unexpected force, and the next thing he knows is that there's a tongue in his mouth.

Itachi _rips_ her away. Izumi stumbles back in surprise, eyes wide. The party comes to a complete standstill, and the atmosphere abruptly changes. Someone stops the music.

Here's the thing: For Itachi, physical aggressiveness is limited to music, dance, and sex. She knows it. Everyone knows it. He hates getting violent. He's always been a pacifist at heart, and he feels genuine, pure, unadulterated _hatred_ thrumming inside his veins towards her for bringing out this reaction from him.

And here's another thing: When Itachi was at the brink of puberty, Utakata had sat him down and explained how Itachi shouldn't shy away from sex or sexual activities. He explained how it's going to be a new facet, a new dimension of his life, and that it should be embraced with grace.

 _For sex is a form of art in itself_ , he'd said. _It's sensual, intimate, and it brings out a part of you that is otherwise restrained, otherwise coated in vulgarity and crudeness._

Itachi never questions his mentors on principle. So he took Utakata's words in stride and explored away to his heart's content. It was simply an added bonus that he genuinely came to enjoy sex and honestly, what's not to like?

For Itachi never mistakes sex with romance. Sex is pleasure. Sex is art. Sex is sensual and intimate. So yes, he is a sexual being by nature.

Izumi knows this. Of course, no one knows the _details_ , but she knows Itachi is unapologetic in his approach to all things sex. Everyone knows it. To try and take advantage of this trait –

"Get her out, Sasuke," Itachi says with such finality that Izumi's eyes widen even further with fear. "Get her the fuck out right now." He takes a warning step in her direction. "If you text me, or call me, or force your presence on me again, I will have Kakashi throw you out of the school and your mother out of the country. I've tolerated you speaking shit about my brother, ruining this party, and I can list out every single wrong thing you've done but I won't. I won't because you need to deserve even the slightest attention that I pay towards your existence. So get the fuck out of my sight, _right now_."

She doesn't. She's rooted to the spot. "I was just –!"

Itachi dials Kakashi's number, himself. "Come inside."

He doesn't tear his eyes away from hers. He wants to witness the terror in them first hand, relish in it, because he's Uchiha Itachi and he's _pissed_.

Kakashi enters in under a minute. "What's wrong?"

Izumi is breathing heavily now.

"Make sure that she isn't seen in the school again," Itachi says with deceptive calmness.

"Itachi," she puffs out. "You can't do that."

"Watch me."

"No, please. My mom – she'll hate me if you do this. You know her! Don't do this." She takes a few steps in his direction, and he holds up a finger to stop her.

"You've tested my patience for far too long, Izumi," he states. "You got so carried away that you must have forgotten _your goddamn place_."

Izumi doesn't go quietly. She's crying and flailing in Kakashi's grasp, begging Itachi not to go through with it. He takes another steadying breath and reminds himself that Kakashi is his guardian _for a reason_.

The following silence is tense. He feels Sasuke's cautious hand on his elbow and forces his body to relax as much as possible. Itachi doesn't like to get angry.

But when he does, he feels rebellious.

* * *

When he's trying to sleep later that night, his phone beeps. It's Banana Flyer.

**Are you awake?**

_Yes._

**Come down to the swimming pool.**

Itachi checks up on Sasuke and then goes down to the living room. Sakura is still in her skirt and blouse, feet dipped in water. He takes a seat beside her and mirrors her position.

"What was that?" she asks directly, forgoing all niceties and small talk. "Your ex. What was that?"

He studies the still water and his disjointed feet under the surface. "She pissed me off."

"That's what you do when you're angry? Ruin lives?"

He side-glances her. "What do you do?"

Sakura laughs coldly. "Definitely not what you do."

"That's not what I asked."

She snorts. "If it's a stranger, I yell. If it's someone I know, I hit."

The answer derails Itachi's thoughts entirely. "What?"

"I told you," she shrugs. "That's how we settle things. Me and my friends."

"Okay," he drags out. "I don't prefer getting violent. So I do what I can do."

"Like throwing someone out of the school? How can you even do that?"

"Just a matter of little politics."

"That's not what I meant," she says flatly. "I meant, how can you help a homeless girl get on her feet – and on the other hand, do _this_ to your girlfriend. I don't understand."

Itachi doesn't respond.

"You're quite the strange person," she continues. "Sometimes I feel like I have you figured out, and then you do something that completely throws me off."

"Really?"

"Yes," she says and leaves it at that.

"Is that a problem?" he asks.

Sakura takes her time with this one. "To be honest, I'm getting your good side."

"What's my good side?" he inquires. He's stopped studying his disjointed feet and now studies her instead.

"The stories," she smirks.

"That's it?"

"Your need for validation is rather shocking."

He smirks down at her. There's a beat of silence, where he's counting the freckles on her cheek.

"Besides," she says seriously, "this is temporary."

"True," he agrees.

They end up behind the mini bar, on the floor, and Itachi takes his sweet little time with her, despite the fact that he's still slightly buzzed, despite the fact that it's past 4 AM, and despite the fact that his entire body is searing with pain.

"Why is this temporary?" he wonders aloud with his hand inside her, tongue in her mouth, chest pressed against hers.

She gasps. "This is just sex."

"Maybe that's why it doesn't have to be temporary."

Her hands fist in his hair. "True."

His thrusts are deep and steady, and Sakura's apple green eyes are half-lidded with pleasure. He stops for a moment, grabbing a random liquor bottle from the minibar. He uncaps it, takes a slug, ignores the burn in his mouth, and captures her mouth again. Sakura tilts her head back to swallow the liquid.

"Shit," she hisses. "That's strong."

Itachi leaves sloppy kisses along her jaw. Sakura pushes him on his back, straddling his hips.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Pretty Boy?" she teases, grinding her hips.

His muscles buckle. "Maybe."

* * *

They file into cars the next day at almost noon. Naruto thanks Sasuke for the party by placing a quick kiss on his cheek that has Sasuke blushing up a storm, and Yahiko, Nagato, Suigetsu, and Konan waste no time in catcalling.

Sakura gives him a heated look across the distance, and Itachi winks.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Itachi got pissed.
> 
> PLEASE READ (DISCLAIMER): As always, teenagers blundering in the dark. Deals with controversial and highly sensitive topics. Smut. Crude language. ALSO, mentions suicide and abuse. I strongly suggest/recommend that you read this chapter with a trusted individual if these are your trigger points.
> 
> Moreover, the events that take place in this chapter span over the course of a few months – in a non-linear fashion. Which is to say, that the sequence of the events are not strictly in a timely order. They're snippets from Itachi's life.
> 
> ALSO READ: Spoiler alert for Frozen II and Harry Potter (just in case).
> 
> Buckle in for a long ride. Here we go.

Itachi incorporates Sakura into his schedule after Naruto's birthday.

He visits her motel room whenever he can, or meets up with her if he's at Kamui for the evening. In between their various sexcapades, he learns quite a bit about her life. Sakura _can_ sing, it turns out, but without any proper training, her notes don't always hit the mark. Itachi tells her that she should consider a mentor at some point, because she does have real potential.

To which she raises her eyebrows, "Can _you_ sing?"

"Of course, I can," he frowns. "Every pianist has to learn how to sing."

She immediately requests for one song. Itachi thinks for a bit, licking his lips, and begins –

_I fell in love next to you_

_Burning fires in this room_

_It just fits, light and smooth_

It's Ed Sheeran's _Firefly_ , and Itachi absolutely loves it. Before he realises, one song turns to two, then three, until she begins requesting her favourites more often than not. Itachi complies but puts forth one condition.

"Yeah?"

"You have to sing, too."

"You just pointed out that I can't."

"I didn't say that," he corrects her. "I can teach you."

She agrees. So now in between their various sexcapades, Itachi teaches her as much as he can, whatever he knows, and begins to share his playlists with her. Despite their differing tastes in music, they do find the middle ground.

* * *

On the other hand, when Itachi begins teaching her, Hashirama comments on his newfound initiative.

"Something has changed," his mentor smiles softly. "You seem more driven, more calm, more in the battle armour than I've seen you before. It's good. Keep doing it."

Itachi never questions his mentors on principle.

* * *

One night, he carries his laptop with him and they watch Frozen II.

"So she's technically not the Queen anymore," Itachi smirks at her when the movie finishes.

Sakura is staring at the screen with an unreadable expression as the end credits roll. "Huh."

Itachi's expression sobers gradually when she doesn't give any indication to speak further. "Did you not like it?"

Sakura finally turns to him, and the movement brings their faces close together. He doesn't move away. Her eyes look dark green under the dim lighting.

"I did," she answers, deep in thought. As if, she can't really see Itachi in front of her, but someone else entirely. "Actually, I think I like her even more."

Itachi smiles. "Yeah? Me, too."

Later, when he intertwines their fingers on either side of Sakura's head, moving and biting and sucking, Itachi wonders whether he could get away with buying her an Elsa merchandise. He whole-heartedly believes that she would prefer that over Gucci purses and diamond rings.

* * *

When Naruto is asked out by a boy when they're at the bowling alley, Sasuke's face is priceless.

It's all very random. Itachi and Sasuke are clicking selfies in Sasuke's phone as they wait for their chance, Yahiko is yelling at Zetsu, Nagato is in a heated discussion with Suigetsu, Hinata is frowning at whatever Kisame is telling her, and Konan is the one who nudges Itachi and points towards the boy, dressed in a snug black hoodie, blue denim, wild brown hair, approaching Naruto.

One moment, Naruto is cheering at his perfect score, and the next, he's sobered up, cheeks warm, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sasuke is staring with a dumb expression. Itachi pries the phone from his fingers pointedly, and Sasuke startles.

Naruto ends up agreeing to the date, and the two of them leave after another game.

"You're staring," Itachi tells him.

Sasuke doesn't bother denying.

* * *

Next time, he plays Beauty and the Beast, then Big Hero 6, then Coco, then Inside Out, and then soon they venture into the Harry Potter series. Since Sakura doesn't read, Itachi shows her the movies and explains the missing chunks, or the original scenes from the books that were adapted for the sake of the audience in the movies.

"Ginny is very different in the books," he tells her when they finish The Half Blood Prince.

"I thought you weren't into novels," she questions.

"I'm not. Nagato told us."

* * *

Sakura wasn't always homeless, she tells him. She was born in a trailer park, and lived there until she turned fourteen years old. She doesn't have any siblings, but grew up with the other children from the trailer park – Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, Mei, and Karui. Her parents were leaders of a local bike gang.

"That explains _so much_ ," Itachi remarks.

And then all went to shit on one bleak Tuesday evening, she says. Three other competing bike gangs decided to come together, and they managed to involve the local governing body and someone or the other – which is typically thought of as against their moral code. The entire community was disordered, and the adults were taken in prisons. If they'd done nothing wrong, the rival gang made it up. The power play is complicated for her to fully understand, she admits, but the kids found themselves on the streets within twenty-four hours, with nothing to show but the clothes on their bodies.

Kakuzu was the first to turn eighteen, and then Mei and Karui. Sasori is a year younger to her, and Deidara is of the same age. Itachi asks her what they're up to, and she says that they're trying to get their parents out of prison.

"What about you?" he questions, tracing the skin on her bare back. "Don't you want your parents to come out?"

"They died."

His fingers halt. Itachi looks at her, really _looks_ at her, and her eyes are defiant, jaw clenched, and he thinks of melting trees in burning snow.

"They died in prison," she continues. "I still meet my friends, but I'm done with that whole shit."

Not knowing what to say, Itachi captures her lips between his, and doesn't bother with power play. He submits.

* * *

When Itachi meets Sai, it's by pure accident. It's the early hours of the morning, dusk is just at the horizon, when Itachi steps out of the motel room and for a second, his heart stutters and he thinks – _shit, Sasuke._

Then the boy smiles, and asks, "Are you Sakura's Sugar Daddy?"

Itachi stares. "What?"

Not Sasuke, then. Definitely, not Sasuke.

He repeats the question slowly as though Itachi is a moron. To be honest, Itachi is still coming to terms with seeing a boy whose physical appearance is eerily as his brother's – and by extent – himself.

"Do I look like an old man?" Itachi counters.

"No," Sai concedes. "You look like a Richie Rich, though."

"I'm not Sakura's Sugar Daddy," Itachi says flatly.

"Oh. Boyfriend?"

Silence.

"I have to go."

He marches straight to the car, settles in, and tells Kakashi to drive already.

* * *

Naruto is staring blankly at Sasuke. "What?"

Sasuke frowns. "You don't know it?"

"No."

Itachi glances at them vaguely. They're sitting in a ramen shop, after much insistence from Naruto. Apparently, Ichiraku has the _best ramen in the whole wide world_. It's a small place, barely seats twenty people, and is run by a father-and-daughter duo. Also, Naruto seems to be frequenting the shop because soon upon their arrival, they'd been personally greeted and ushered to a table, with _Are these your friends, Naruto?_ and _Oh my, they're so handsome!_ and _The usual?_

After Naruto orders for them, Sasuke soon strikes up a conversation over a book called _The_ _Fountainhead_ by Ayn Rand, which Naruto hasn't read yet, it seems.

"Naruto, how could you not know it?" Sasuke asks incredulously. "You _need_ to read it."

Naruto frowns back. "What is it about?"

"Altruism and individualism," Sasuke replies. "Since you're someone who is inclined towards altruism by nature, I think you would find it an interesting read."

"I'm not altruistic by nature," Naruto argues, and hastily continues when Sasuke gives him a bemused, pointed stare. "I mean, okay, I do recognize the necessity of altruism in the grand scheme of things, but I'm also very selfish in my propagandas. I have an idea of what the society should be like, and all I know is from what I've been taught by my parents and Jiraiya – and, of course, school. But that's what I'm doing, isn't it? I'm following the ideals that my mentors taught me. Believed in them. And now I want the society to be shaped that way. If you think about it, that's selfish, too."

"In that way," Sasuke picks up the thread of topic, "everything that a person does is selfish. Selflessness is selfish in nature because it makes the person happy. It also speaks about how if helping someone in need is the highest test of virtue, then the person will _want_ to find helpless people – so that they can help them and prove their worth. True selflessness doesn't really exist."

"Is that what the book says?" Naruto questions, chin propped up on folded hands.

"One of the points," Sasuke nods.

"Do you really believe that?"

"I think so. It makes sense to me."

"Itachi?" Naruto turns to him. "What do you think about this?"

He has no freaking idea, anymore. He has no idea whether he, himself, is selfless or selfish, whether they're two different things, or one and the same. "I don't think it matters," he says instead.

"Why would you say that?" Sasuke asks.

Itachi shrugs lightly. "It is whatever you convince yourself of, isn't it? If I help a person in need, does it matter why? Or whether I could help or not in that given moment? Whether I helped or not in that given moment? I don't see why the reason behind it, or one's justification for the same, is paramount."

"It is," Naruto denies. "It reveals who you are."

Itachi wants to tell him that it's not that easy, not that simple. But he holds his tongue, because Naruto is watching him with an unreadable expression, and Sasuke feels the need to do the same. Itachi pulls out his phone to avoid their weighted stares.

* * *

One day, Sakura requests for a ballet routine. So in the darkness of the night, they sneak out of the motel room and to the empty land a few yards down the road. Itachi tells Kakashi to turn on the headlights of the car and the space floods bright white. Sakura holds his phone, plays a song on the car's system, and hops on the bumper. Kakashi leans against the driver's door, hands in pockets.

Itachi removes his shoes, feels the lay of the ground and mentally thinks _this is going to hurt like a bitch_. But Sakura wants to see him do ballet, and who is he to deny her of anything?

He does a short two-minute routine under the open sky with her watching him, and he feels the same nervous energy thrumming under his skin from being around her. His toes are scratched and his right foot is bleeding slightly at the heel, but Itachi spins and jumps and arches, and doesn't hold back just because this isn't his usual dance floor, just because this is mud and stones.

When he's done, Sakura bandages his feet for him back in the motel room, and says, _Never stop dancing_.

* * *

Itachi learns that Sakura gets chocolate cravings during periods. They don't hook-up then, but Itachi still makes Kakashi drive him to her with his laptop, iPod, and an assortment of chocolates. He tells his cook one day to prepare chocolate waffles in the middle of the night, and the cook is in no position to question it, so he hands him a pile of them in an airtight box. Sakura goes for a shower as he lounges on the bed, his feet stretched out before him, half-asleep because Utakata is pushing Itachi to his heart's content. He hears the bathroom door creak open, jolts awake, and watches her silently as she dries her hair with a small towel, the smell of coconut shampoo wafting across the space.

"Come here," he beckons.

Sakura raises an eyebrow, but complies. She stands by the side of the bed in question, wearing an old T-shirt of his and a pair of yoga pants. Itachi grabs her hand, pulls her against his chest, buries his nose in her hair, and promptly falls asleep.

* * *

Sai is working on his biology subject. He has his study material laid out on the foot of the bed. The sound of scratching a pencil is the only indication of any life in the room.

But life there is. Sakura and Itachi are snuggled near the headboard, one earphone each, listening to Itachi's iPod. This continues for another twenty minutes or so, and Itachi is watching Sai from time to time with increasing amusement because he feels that any time now, Sai is going to –

"Fuck this shit!"

-do that.

"Here, show me," Itachi laughs, handing over his earphone piece to Sakura, and sliding over to Sai.

"Why the fuck does this shit have such complicated terms," Sai complains, pushing his book towards Itachi as if it's the bane of his existence. "I'm going to fail tomorrow."

Itachi checks the syllabus. He's covered these topics at his school, so he at least knows what he's talking about when he explains it to Sai, drawing diagrams –

"You can draw?" Sai interrupts.

Itachi snorts. "No. If you live with Sasuke, _this_ looks like a toddler's doodles."

It's 4.15 AM by the time Sai feels confident enough that he can manage a passable score on his test. To show his gratitude, he falls asleep on the bed right there, muttering _wake me up in two hours_.

Itachi is lying in the middle, on his side, spooning Sakura. Before he passes out, he hopes to hell that Sai doesn't kick in his sleep.

* * *

Izumi's mother visits their house almost every week, but the security refuses her entry. Which leads her to slander the Uchiha name in the media.

Mikoto isn't all too happy with it, despite Fugaku insisting that she's not the first to do so and she won't be the last. Uchiha is an established name; nothing she says or does makes a dent in their fame. He praises Itachi for staying firm with his decision of break-up, because _they should know their place_. Mikoto argues that a kid's relationship is hardly equivalent to the magnitude of the situation, and Itachi reminds her that they've gone through worse.

"Besides," he says, frowning, "she spoke ill about Sasuke."

"Many people are going to do that," Mikoto replies. "You can't go around punishing every single one of them."

Sasuke laughs coldly. "Of course," he taunts. "Why would you care about your gay son being insulted and disrespected?"

"That's how it is," Mikoto snaps at him. "If you're going to be a baby about it, then don't go parading around with your boyfriends."

"I don't have a boyfriend!" Sasuke says incredulously. "I've never had one, because I didn't want to hear these exact words from you."

"Did she comment on that, Itachi?" Fugaku cuts in harshly.

Itachi shakes his head. "No."

"There we go," Fugaku placates Mikoto and Sasuke. "Let's not discuss it right now."

Sasuke stands up, leaving his dinner half-finished. "When have we ever discussed about it, anyway? When I came out to you, I was expecting some degree of acceptance. Not this shit."

"Language," Mikoto scolds. "What do you want from us? You're an Uchiha, Sasuke. Don't forget that."

"What does that even mean!" he yells. "How the fuck do you interpret our family name with sexual orientation? What fucking logic _is_ that?"

"Language!" Mikoto raises her voice, as well. "We're Old Money, Sasuke. We have certain rules, certain values to uphold. Unnatural couplings are not part of it. We already tolerate you boys' various promiscuous activities."

"We were talking about Izumi," Fugaku reminds them sternly. "Like I said, let's not discuss this right now."

"I'm going out," Sasuke declares stiffly. "To engage in some more promiscuous activities."

"Sasuke," Mikoto admonishes. "Sit down."

"No."

After Sasuke storms out, Itachi focuses on chewing his food. He wants to go after him, but knows that if he does, Mikoto will only make things worse. The best thing to do in the current situation is to finish dinner as quickly as possible, and _then_ find out where Sasuke went.

Regardless, he takes his phone out and types a quick text to Sasuke. _Don't go far. I'm coming._

Then he sends another one to Kimimaro. _Look after him._

And then Kakashi. _Get your ass back. We have to go._

Lastly, to Banana Flyer. _Not coming tonight._

She doesn't ask why. **Alright.**

He doesn't know whether to be glad or disappointed, but decides that he doesn't have the _time_ to be either, and shoves the food down this throat.

* * *

Sai and Sakura are staring at him with identical _what is he doing_ looks.

Itachi tries to ignore them as much as possible, as he rubs the lotion in his hands, between his fingers, massages the veins.

After he's done, he holds the bottle in their direction. "Want some?"

* * *

Sasuke is at Naruto's house with Hinata and Suigetsu.

Naruto's house is basically the upper two floors of his parent's bookstore. It's a decent place, Itachi thinks. Cosy and bursting with colours to the point where it hurts his eyes a little.

Minato and Kushina greet him with wide smiles and offer soda. Itachi declines and Minato shows him to Naruto's room, after Kushina gushes over how handsome he is, and how similar he and Sasuke look.

"It's like you're stuck between fraternal and identical twins," she jokes.

Sasuke is sitting on the bed with Suigetsu, and Hinata is in the desk chair. Naruto is pacing around the room, pausing for a second when Itachi enters.

"You look like your dad," Itachi tells him and joins Sasuke on the bed. "You okay?"

Sasuke shrugs. "Just sick of it."

"I'm really mad, though," Naruto declares and resumes his pacing. "I can't believe your parents are so orthodox even today, no offence. I mean, it's not as though anyone is going to give a shit if you're gay!"

"You'd be surprised," Suigetsu tells him. "We all grew up in an environment where upholding an image is everything. So everyone's business is everyone else's business." Naruto opens his mouth, looking scandalised, but Suigetsui continues. "I'm not justifying Sasuke's parents' behaviour. Namikaze, I understand what you're saying. And you're right. Ideally, it is no one's business what and who you are. And look at my family. We manufacture weapons for a living. This is not an ideal world."

"Then we have to make it into one!" Naruto explodes. "What's the fucking point of sitting on our asses, reading about this fucked up shit that happens in the world – in _Sasuke's house_ , and do what? Nothing?"

"What can we do?" Hinata fidgets with her fingers. "Naruto, this is bigger than us. Bigger than you. Bigger than Sasuke. Our lives are predetermined by our families. Su is right. It's not an ideal world, and maybe that's how it's always going to be."

"No," Naruto refutes stubbornly. "It can be better. And – and I'm not denying that it's bigger than us. Of course, it is! But doing a small bit also helps. Showing Sasuke's parents that they're wrong is obviously going to be a huge deal thing to Sasuke. We can definitely do that for now, if nothing else!"

Minato is just opening the door with a food tray. He comes straight to Sasuke with it, throwing a mild, "Naruto, calm down." Two large sandwiches are cut up in triangles on a single plate. "Finish all of it," he says sternly. "Lick the plate if you have to."

Sasuke cracks a smile. "Thanks, Minato."

"Growing boys need proper nutrition," he remarks coolly and turns to his son. "Deep breaths."

"How!" Naruto flails his hands. "Dad, they're educated people!"

Minato merely stares back calmly. "Go and call your mother."

Naruto glares defiantly but leaves dutifully, yelling, "Moooom!"

"He gets it from Kushina, I swear," Minato says in the sudden silence. "He only looks like me."

Naruto practically drags his mother inside. "What's going on?"

Itachi watches with utter fascination how Naruto doesn't hold back a word as he explains that Sasuke and Itachi's parents don't like the fact that Sasuke is gay, and that their mother mocks him for it. Itachi thinks that maybe he should interrupt, defend his parents, stop the family name from being slandered in the Namikaze household, but he's simply too interested in their dynamics to do more than witness the scene.

And the thing is, Minato and Kushina don't interrupt him even once, not even when he uses curse words. They listen to their son attentively as though nothing in the world is more important than that, in this particular moment, as though Naruto is not a seventeen-year-old high school student but an individual who commands respect.

After he's done, Kushina explains him how every parent is an individual with flaws at the end of the day. Minato reminds him of tolerance and patience and that if Sasuke ever needs reprieve, he's always welcome at their house regardless of time.

Itachi understands why Naruto hadn't hesitated in befriending Sakura on their school grounds, why he doesn't mind that Gaara barely speaks, and why he's never been scared of voicing his opinions and thoughts. For the first time, Itachi feels guilty for not standing up for the Namikaze kid. It's not about fighting his own battles, he thinks, Naruto can very well do that – clearly – but the obvious passion he has for doing the right thing feels rather contagious.

* * *

When they watch Deathly Hallows part two, Sakura holds his hand as the Prince's Tale plays out on the screen. And when Severus Snape is clutching Lily's dead body to his chest, Itachi squeezes back.

"So basically, Voldemort was born out of fabricated love," she says, frowning, sitting cross-legged on the bed with the blanket wrapped around her form.

Itachi is stretched out, shirtless, head pillowed on one hand, the other absently drumming a random tune on his abdomen. "Yeah."

"That must suck," she remarks.

He watches her silently. Sakura's hand reaches across the distance to grab the bottle of beer from the side-table and she takes a languid sip from it. The blanket slips down her shoulders at the movement.

Itachi wonders what she thinks about –

* * *

"Sit still, dobe!" Sasuke snaps for the umpteenth time, and Itachi rolls his eyes at the pair.

Naruto fidgets even more. "This is hard," he complains.

Sasuke groans loudly. " _Fine_ ," he hisses, pausing in his sketch. "Go take a run or something."

Naruto beams, immediately shooting up from the bench, jogging down the garden path.

Fugaku and Mikoto have decided to take one-week trip to the Bahamas, and Itachi and Sasuke decide to call everyone over. Naruto wastes no time in requesting for a sketch of his own, and so here they are – in their garden, Sasuke's easel set up, as the others bring out the grill and pop open beers, music flowing through the portable stereo in the middle.

Itachi wanders over to Sasuke's side and peers at the paper. He's managed to make the outline, at least, despite Naruto's various attempts to sabotage his own request. Sasuke has told him to sit on one of the garden benches, feet wide apart, fingers loosely intertwined, elbows on knees. Naruto has decided to wear his worn out orange jacket with the high black collars, an off-white loose T-shirt, blue denim, and black sandals. Light blonde hair as messy as always. Blue eyes piercing in the afternoon sun.

"This will take a long time," Itachi comments.

Sasuke sighs. "Yeah. It's alright." He begins to darken the outline and fill in the shadows until Naruto decides to return, having expended all built-up energy.

"Why the garden?" Itachi queries.

Sasuke frowns, his hand moving across the paper in expert strokes, and he answers without breaking the pace. "For me, Naruto is a personification of nature. The morning sunlight, budding fruits, blooming flowers, sharp grassblades, butterflies, snow and warmth. He's explosive, bursting through the frame. He's energy and growth. In this sketch, at least."

"Are you planning on making more?"

Sasuke shrugs lightly, fingers still steady. "We're not unilateral, Itachi. He might be all smiles and sunshine, but if you look closely, Naruto is angry as fuck. I can have him sit under the moonlight, paint it all silver, calm him down. On the other hand, if you provoke enough, even nature fights back – and then you have no choice but to brave the tsunamis, the earthquakes, and the floods."

Itachi studies his brother then, rather than the sketch. He feels a boiling in his gut, and wonders whether it is Sasuke feeling it. Sasuke has maintained a lot of times how _I'm content in my life_. Itachi wonders whether it still holds true.

* * *

Izumi posts on her social media account how her boyfriend treated her like nothing, how he couldn't tolerate her for being a _girl_ , because she was expected to be submissive and forget her own life for the sake of that _someone_.

"This is my message to all the girls out there," she's saying in the camera, "we should stop letting them get away with this kind of behaviour. They don't understand how important a girl is in their life, because it's a man's world. It stops today. I vow in front of you all that I will show them what a girl can do. It's high time that they learn, wouldn't you agree? I will continue to fight against this patriarchal society. Stay strong, women!"

Itachi checks his phone one Monday evening after his piano class.

**I hope you saw my video, you ass. You won't get away with this.**

He locks his phone, and tells Kakashi to drive him to the motel. Sakura has an off tonight.

* * *

_Teach my skin those new tricks_

_Warm me up with your lips_

_Heart to heart, melt me down_

_It's too cold in this town_

Itachi finishes the song – it's one of Sakura's favorites, and she keeps requesting for it, and he doesn't mind, really, it's his favorite too – and tries not to squirm under their eyes.

Sai, Sakura, and Itachi are sitting on the bed in a small circle. There is a plate of dumplings in the middle that Itachi had bought on his way over from Kotoamatsukami. Shisui had asked him if everything was okay, because it's a known fact that dumplings are Itachi's guilty pleasure.

"Not for me," Itachi had told him. "For … friends."

Now, as he watches the two, he tries to mould what he feels towards them to fit the definition of _friends_. But he can't. He just can't. Itachi's friends are Konan, Kisame, Nagato, Yahiko, Zetsu. No, Sai and Sakura are definitely not his friends. They're more like … Naruto, perhaps. Whatever Naruto is to him.

"Another one," Sai says. "Wait, let me suggest … Something of Ed again … I see fire?"

"You can pick another artist," Itachi rolls his eyes.

Sai gives him a flat stare. "I know that, you asshole. It's just that – your voice is very suitable for the kind of songs he makes."

"Now that you say it …" Sakura trails off, eyes narrowed at Itachi.

Itachi shakes his head tiredly. "I am expecting a nice reward after this. Both of you."

"I'm not fucking you," Sai immediately declares, and Sakura bursts out in laughter.

"I'm not asking you to, you dipshit," Itachi retorts.

"Then what the fuck can I do for you, you bastard?"

Itachi mulls it over. "You know, I always did suspect you're good for nothing."

Sai isn't amused. "Just because you're rich, doesn't mean I'm good for nothing, you son of a bitch."

And Itachi heaves a long-suffering sigh. "I don't think you'd be good for anything even with money. You wanker."

"The only good thing about _you_ , you dickhead, is Sakura." He waves his hand dismissively in his direction. "The rest of it is … well, nothing out of the ordinary."

"I'm smart, you know."

"And talented," Sakura adds in.

"Hundreds of students in my school are smart and talented," Sai shoots back instantly. "I could have Sakura meet any one of them."

"Please," Itachi rolls his eyes. "As if Sakura's taste is so mediocre."

"I'm right here," Sakura cuts in pointedly, and the two boys shut up at the tone. "Also, this reminds me. Sai – what happened to that chick you were planning on asking out?"

"Akari, wasn't it?" Itachi frowns. "What did she say?"

Sai purses his lips. "She said no."

"What? Why?" Itachi asks, surprised. Sai had told them about her a couple of times, and it had sounded as though she definitely was interested in him.

Sai shrugs as if it's not a big deal. Itachi exchanges a decisive look with Sakura.

And so Itachi begins, _Oh, misty eye of the mountain below_

Sakura picks up a dumpling from the plate and smashes it in Sai's mouth.

* * *

Itachi is called in to Dr. Orochimaru's office a week after Izumi's video becomes viral.

Itachi has been to meet with him for his yearly mandatory assessments, but he's never approached him on his own. Other than this, the man attends the yearly Christmas gala at Itachi's house. After Sora's death, Dr. Orochimaru was defamed for not having prevented it. The school management maintained the stand that a psychiatrist and client's relation is _always_ an interactive process.

The office is the same as it has been throughout the years. A large mahogany desk is littered with a variety of objects, including a pen stand, stack of papers, odd titbits, and Itachi's favourite of all – a miniature drum set. A couch is pushed against one of the walls. There is a gigantic bookshelf on the wall behind the desk, and another one filled with trophies and medals.

Itachi takes his seat on the couch. Dr. Orochimaru's hair is tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck with short fringe framing his angular face. He's wearing his usual choice of clothing: a pair of cargo pants, a loose Hawaiian shirt, and beads around his neck and wrist.

They get the small talk out of the way, and Dr. Orochimaru comes to the point. He asks him if he's aware of a certain video of Izumi, and Itachi doesn't play along; he says that he knows the reason for him being called, and _can you just ask me it?_

Dr. Orochimaru does. He asks Itachi how he feels about the video and what his thoughts are.

"It doesn't matter to me," Itachi says. "I have other things to focus on right now. Her video will be lost in hundreds that are posted on a daily basis. I don't see the point of reacting to it."

"I wish to speak with you regarding the content," Dr. Orochimaru says.

Itachi doesn't respond immediately. "You mean to say how she has accused that I did not treat her well because she is a girl? Do you want to check whether I'm a misogynist?"

"Do you think that you are?"

"No," Itachi replies instantly. "I don't think that I am."

Dr. Orochimaru watches him intently. "Sometimes, we don't realise that we are exercising misogynist thoughts and behaviour. It comes with the territory of being a male, unfortunately."

"You're wrong," Itachi insists. "I never treated her bad because she was a girl."

"Do you think that you treated her bad?"

"I treated her fine," he says. "I didn't see her as a _girl_ , but just a _person_ , and I treated her accordingly."

"And how would that be?"

"Why are you trying to convince me that I'm prejudiced against women, when I'm not?"

"I'm not trying to convince you of anything, Itachi," Dr. Orochimaru says calmly. "It's my responsibility to offer guidance and support, in case my students are at crossroads. With Izumi's video, it is easy enough to infer that she was speaking about you even if she doesn't explicitly say your name. There are many students in the school who feel that Izumi is right, and that you're a threat to equal social dynamics. They want to feel safe."

"Izumi is wrong," Itachi replies stiffly.

"Why don't we speak about the relationship that you two shared?"

"There's nothing to share," he insists. "You met her when Hinata and Konan brought her in, didn't you? She needed help, not me. She was very possessive and obsessive and tried to mould me to her liking. She would tell me what I'm supposed to be doing simply because I was her boyfriend. What right did she have on me to be saying that? I always saw her as a separate entity, not my Siamese twin. But, ironically, that was not returned."

"Ironically?"

Itachi's lips thin with frustration at the memory of it. "She always complained about how I spent more time with Sasuke and not her. Sasuke is my brother. What did she expect from me? That I'd forget him now just because she's in my life? Isn't that highly presumptuous of her?"

"Why do you think she'd insist on these ideas?"

"I don't know. Maybe her mother. Her mother is an overbearing person, who loves to micro-manage everything. Sasuke said this to me once, that Izumi was becoming more and more her mother by the day. And I noticed it when he pointed it out to me. Zetsu said that she might have victim mindset, and it made sense, too. Then Naruto spoke about how this thought process is being normalised, and it should be stopped. He asked me if it put pressure on me as her partner."

"Did it?"

"Of course, it did!" Itachi says impatiently. "Just because I'm a boy, no one will believe me, the same way they will believe Izumi because she's a girl. No one will bother learning the whole truth, from both sides, because they're not looking for the truth. They're looking for a controversial topic. They're looking to get angry.

"Even this conversation is pointless. I know that I've been stamped as a woman-hater, and it will never fade away, despite what I do. If they see me not reacting, they will think of me as arrogant and indifferent to the woes of them. If they see me doing a nice deed towards a girl, they will think that I'm making up for my past wrongdoings. If they see me saying a single bad thing to a person who happens to be a girl, they will believe that I am capable of nothing else.

"You called me to your office today because you were worried about the same, weren't you? You know that she needs help, but that will never be addressed. She's made some noise, and this is it. She's put a stamp on me, and nothing I do will change it."

This is why Itachi prefers to choose his conversations carefully. Izumi was wrong. Speaking with Itachi is not like pulling teeth, because he speaks plenty with Sasuke – and now Sakura, too. The reason is not that complicated. There is no need to read into it with depth. It's simple, really; Itachi speaks with them more freely than with anyone else because they _listen_.

Initially, Itachi did communicate with Izumi quite a bit. He found her interesting the moment she'd asked him _have you ever felt caged?_ But the conversations became one-sided soon, with Itachi being the listener most of the times, and he finds it ironic that Izumi blames him for not speaking enough. How long can a person truly endure the same complaints over and over again? Itachi had his own things to deal with – yes, _his_ piano, _his_ dance, _his_ friends, _his_ life. It was always meant to be his, and he hates Izumi for twisting it into something that it wasn't, for twisting it in such a way that Itachi wanting to live his own life sounded like a crime. For trying to make him sound as though he is a robot. Itachi is not a robot. Just because he doesn't go around shouting his feelings and thoughts doesn't mean that they don't exist.

And now Izumi's video has already taken an effect around him. There are more stares, more whispers, and Itachi thinks that it will only be a matter of time when the stares will turn to glares, when whispers won't be whispers.

Dr. Orochimaru asks him how he feels about this behaviour, the "stamp" as he puts it.

"I don't know. They might move on, they might not. I don't see the point in discussing this, as I have already said. I cannot control the behaviour of others."

"Do you think that you can mould them, if not control them?"

"Why? What's the point? They're going to believe what they want. Besides, I don't care. I don't care what they think of me. Izumi is free to make one video daily how she was treated unfairly by me, and it doesn't matter to me."

When their time is up, Dr. Orochimaru tells him that Itachi can visit him whenever he wants, that his office will always be open for him. Itachi only nods and leaves.

* * *

Itachi buries his head in Sakura's lap, and she strokes his hair, absently humming the tune of _Swan Lake_.

"Tell me about your home," he mutters.

Sakura's fingers halt momentarily, but then she picks up the rhythm, and begins in a voice that twists Itachi's gut.

"Mama was the down-to-earth type. Very grounded. Papa always managed to get himself in some trouble or the other. He'd try to cook food all the time – despite being terrible at it. But he would do it anyway, because it made Mama happy. And I'd complain all through it. What did I do, I'd say, to deserve such deplorable quality of nourishment."

She pauses, voice cracking. Itachi tightens his arms around her waist, face still buried in her lap. And waits.

"We were a tight-knit community, all things considered. All of us were home-schooled. We had this old man – Sarutobi Hiruzen. But we called him The Professor. He was the most well-read person among us. He had this stupid goatee, which looked horrible on him. And he was very short. Sharp-tongued. Surprisingly quick on his feet.

"All of us kids were always very taken by our parents. And everyone drank beer. So we would sneak the bottles at night, meet at this one spot just beyond the fence, and drink. Just for the hell of it, despite none of us enjoying the taste. One day, Mei got so drunk, she ran amok hollering out stupid shit, and we were busted. Sarutobi lectured us for one week straight. I was eleven or twelve.

"And when they started complimenting me on my voice, I was gifted this MP3 player by my parents. Papa said that I'd become a huge singer one day, and I'd leave the trailer park. He would always tease me about – about how I'd forget them once I become famous.

"And – and then – Kakuzu – he made himself the leader, and I protested. My parents are the – the leaders, so that – didn't that make me the leader? Never listened to me though. And – there was this stupid competition – just us. But we never went to a – a proper school. So Sarutobi arranged it. I sang. I sang Elsa's song – you know the one? Let it go? I thought I'd definitely win – and then it turns out that – that Sarutobi had always planned on – on giving everyone a stupid medal. How un – unfair – is that?"

Itachi feels wet drops on his head, and Sakura keeps hiccupping through her story. And Itachi listens long into the night, doesn't interrupt, doesn't ask, doesn't let go of his hold.

* * *

And then one day, Sakura learns of Sora's death.

It's all very random. They're at Kamui, and Naruto insists upon Sakura joining them during her break. Itachi isn't all too happy with it, because he wanted to spend it with her alone. But there she is, smiling and laughing at Suigetsu's stories, and Itachi is watching her, and thinking – _she's beautiful and how the fuck did I miss it until now?_

He's musing over that, when her face suddenly becomes stiff, eyes flashing in his direction, and he immediately realises that something is wrong.

"He couldn't take it," Suigetsu is telling her. "But no one really knew him, you know? He had no friends."

Sakura's jaw is clenched, and she's standing up quickly. "Excuse me. Break time is over."

She rushes out of the room. Itachi stares after her, and without really giving it a thought, he follows, ignoring the puzzled questions. He finds her in the staff washroom. When he locks the door behind him, Sakura doesn't bother looking at him.

Her lower lip is trembling, and she's glaring at the floor, her entire weight against the wall. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asks in a shaky voice.

Itachi stands one feet away. "I'm sorry."

"Right. I mean, fine. You were under no obligation to inform me, I suppose. I shouldn't be angry with you."

"Sakura-"

" _What_?" she cuts in sharply, and faces him with angry green eyes, and Itachi shuts up. "He killed himself and I didn't even know. That feels fucking fantastic, you know that? What's another death after your own parents die? I guess I didn't know him all that well. If he was so sad in life, maybe I should have seen it. I fucked the guy, for god's sake! You'd think I'd know if he was planning to kill himself."

Itachi doesn't want to, but he feels a rush of jealousy coursing through his veins. He steps into her personal space, flushing the full length of his body against hers. Sakura tries to push him away and he holds her wrists.

"It wasn't your fault," he tells her firmly. "You couldn't have known."

She stops struggling gradually and rests her head on his chest, breathing rapidly. "I should have."

"No. Sakura, Sora needed help. Professional help. You … you both …"

"Fucked," she helps in a dry tone.

"That," he almost snarls. "Don't blame yourself."

Sakura looks up, right in his eyes, and challenges, "Say it. Sora and I fucked."

He swallows and presses into her more. "Don't be childish."

And she smirks, cold and cruel, and Itachi had forgotten that she could do it, and it sends a chill down his spine. "You want to know where we fucked? What positions we fucked in? What name I called out when he'd screw me senseless?"

"Sakura," he snaps angrily. "Stop it."

"Why? Are you jealous?"

He kisses her roughly, holding her hands captive above her head, and she kisses back hungrily, desperately. He rips off her black T-shirt and blue bra, shrugs out his own button down shirt, and she bites down his chest.

He doesn't bother with much foreplay. She's naked and pressed against the wall five minutes later, and Itachi holds her from behind almost painfully.

Her face is turned to look at him over her shoulder, and she gives him a flat, mocking stare. "I feel like I should tell you how Sora used to fuck me in the school itself. Did you know that, Itachi? Imagine it – you were there with Izumi somewhere, while we would sneak into the grounds and he'd make me strip down right there, where anyone could have seen."

Itachi's jaw clenches and his hands dig in her hips.

"You want to know something else? He once sneaked me inside the building, and we were in the broom closet. Maybe you were standing right outside? Maybe you heard the way he pounded me on the door, and I called out his name."

He bites down on her shoulder. Hard. "Stop it," he hisses. "I know what you're doing. You're angry and hurt and upset with me. I get it. But if you're thinking of _anyone else_ when I'm fucking you, I'll make you pay for it."

"Yeah?" she challenges. "What will you do?"

And he rips her away from the wall, spins her around so that she's facing him.

"Get down on your knees," he barks.

"Or else what?" she raises her eyebrows coolly.

"Sakura," he growls, anger coursing through him now, because _she's so –_

He groans loudly in the silent space, and then he's backing her against the closed door. He unlocks it.

"Anyone could come in," he says. "This time, for real."

"Then I suppose we'll just have to see who it'll be."

"Yeah," he agrees.

They look at each other.

Itachi makes her brace herself with her hands as he thrusts inside her from the back.

"Don't you dare think of anyone else right now," he warns darkly. "Understood?"

She moans in answer.

Suddenly, there are voices outside the door and Itachi doesn't stop. Instead, he increases his pace, and Sakura trembles and shudders with the effort of not making any sound.

The door is tried a few times but it doesn't budge, and the voices eventually fade away in snickers and _who the hell is screwing in there?_

Itachi fucks her two more times later that night in the motel room, because he wants to replace the dead boy in her mind, and every boy that she will ever sleep with.

* * *

Sai signals them that the coast is clear, and Itachi and Sakura creep out of the motel room to where he is standing. The three of them tiptoe to the backside of the motel under the darkness of the night. Kakashi is waiting in the car as per usual, and Itachi waves his hand. The headlamps turn on.

"Are you sure about this?" Sai hisses lowly.

"Not really," Itachi whispers back.

"Relax, you guys," Sakura says, clutching Itachi's hand in hers.

Itachi and Sai both shoot her a look. They're sneaking in this manner for her sake, Itachi wants to remind her. Shin's house is right there a few yards down, silent and dark. It's 2.57 AM.

"Okay, let's do this," Sakura says bracingly. "Kakashi!" she calls out loudly.

"Shhh!" Sai glares at her. "Jesus."

Sakura ignores him. "Hit it, man!"

 _Closer_ by Chainsmokers start drifting through the car's speakers, spilling out the open windows, and the breaking the quiet of the night abruptly. Itachi and Sai only have time to exchange one last resigned stare between them before Sakura is pulling at their arms, bobbing her head to the music and hopping on her toes. Sai starts swaying his hips. Itachi, though, looks over at the small motel. Two rooms have turned on the lights, and it's only a matter of time before they'll come out to inspect the ruckus.

But then Sai is tugging at his elbow, shaking his head, grinning, and still swaying his hips.

"Fuck it," Sai advices him.

"Yeah!" Sakura cheers on, beaming, dancing. "Fuck it! Come on, Itachi. Dance! You know you want to!"

He does. He really does. He hesitates for another few moments, but watching Sai and Sakura now grasping hands and moving strangely makes him laugh breathlessly. His chest squeezes.

So Itachi dances. He joins the two in their strange moves, bobbing his head, hopping like Sakura, swaying his hips like Sai. Then Sakura is pulling Kakashi out the door. His guardian isn't amused whatsoever. He merely stands a little outside their tiny three-man circle with half-lidded eyes. Sai grabs Itachi's hand when the ending chorus comes up. Itachi laughs, puts his hands on Sai's hips, and they pretend to seduce each other – all the while, Sakura is in her world, and Itachi feels another squeeze in his chest.

 _Closer_ finishes, and Charlie Puth's _Attention_ begins to play.

Shin's house is still dark and silent. However, four other occupants of the motel rooms have come out to see what's happening. There's a moment as Itachi, Sai, Sakura stare at them – still moving their feet, grinning, swaying – and they stare back blankly, until two of the men in their twenties step forward.

They dance for a good half an hour under the open sky, with Kakashi standing guard, space flooded bright white.

Uroko is a backpacker, only 25 years old, and comes from a small town.

" _Really_ small," she says as they sit on the ground with the car's headlamps still on. They are passing a bottle of scotch between themselves. "My parents died when I was nineteen – got the call during my physics class. Still remember that clear as a day. I pulled out of college immediately. Now I travel. Life is too short, I realised."

Haku nods seriously, a tiny frown between his eyebrows. "I know what you mean. I lost my parents when I was very small. I must have been four, I think. My uncle took me in. But then he died, too. Heart disease. Always told him to eat well, but he kept shoving down wrong kinds of food down his throat. Hardly a surprise when he got a heart attack, I tell you. I finished my high school somehow, with foster care. But my stepfather was a real ass."

Haku pauses, takes a deep breath. "Always came in my room during the night when the wife was asleep. He'd put his hand on my mouth to make sure I don't shout. I was always told how beautiful I looked. How lucky I am. I see all these people out in the world who worry over acne, or a badly shaped nose, or their tattooed beauty spots. It sometimes makes me mad, you know? Because this whole 'looking beautiful' thing didn't exactly pan out well for me. I mean, there have been so many times I wished that I looked ugly. Maybe my stepfather would have left me alone, then."

Itachi finds himself unable to look away from Haku. He truly is a beautiful boy – 22 years old, long straight hair, appealing facial structure. He's the kind who could rival Hinata easily if their physical appearances were to be compared. But Haku is now fidgeting with his fingers, staring at the ground.

"Let's beat him up," Arashi nudges Haku's shoulder. "We'll all go! Right, guys?"

Itachi nods instantly along with the others. He doesn't like violence, he never hits anyone. But he feels anger coursing through him on Haku's behalf, and believes that – if nothing else – he can always have Kakashi do the honour.

Hokushin drags on his cigarette, offers it to Haku. He declines.

"Haku," Sakura says solemnly. "You're beautiful. Never let anyone make you feel otherwise, or make you hope for otherwise. There will always be people who will be jealous of it."

Itachi side-glances her. "You say it to me as if it's a curse," he reminds her dryly.

Sakura grins up at him. "I'm jealous."

He simply shakes his head.

"What about you, Arashi?" Haku asks.

Arashi is the youngest. He takes a swig of the scotch before answering. "I'm searching for my family, actually. I was sold to a businessman when I was ten. The fucker got caught five months ago, and I'm on the road since then."

"Why are you trying to find your family?" Sai frowns. "If they sold you, then why bother?"

"To spit in their faces," Arashi says without missing a beat. "Quite literally."

Hokushin claps him on the shoulder. "Amen, brother."

"Hokushin?" Sakura asks.

"Traveling musician," Hokushin replies. "Just staying for a week or so, and I'll be on my way."

"What do you play?" Itachi asks with interest.

"Flute. You play?"

"Piano."

"Nice," Hokushin grins.

"Can you play something for us?" Sai requests.

Hokushin nods. "Sure. Let me get my flute."

He rises to his feet and retreats to his room to bring the instrument. Meanwhile, they drink and smoke in silence. Kakashi is sitting with them now, but he doesn't interrupt. Merely listens with hands draped over his knees.

Hokushin plays _Despacito_. The notes echo in the space, and it has everyone bobbing their heads within ten seconds. Itachi mentally praises the man for his effort to uplift their spirits as Sai hooks his arm with Itachi's, and throws him a small smile. Sakura grabs his other hand.

* * *

It's a Sunday, and Utakata has let Itachi enjoy the holiday for once. Sasuke calls over Naruto – politely extending the invitation to his boyfriend – but the blonde shows up alone. Now, the three of them are languidly swimming in the pool under the afternoon sun, playing light music on the portable stereo. Their cook has outdone himself, yet again, and heaps of snacks with suitable alcohol are placed near the edge. Itachi comes to a halt after another two laps to check his phone. He'd sent a selfie of himself in the water to Sakura ten minutes ago.

She's sent one in return – it's her and Sai, lying on their backs on the muddy ground, smiling cheekily at him through his screen.

"You broke up?" Sasuke's voice cuts through Itachi's thoughts. He turns to watch his brother and the blonde, a little ways down, bobbing aimlessly.

Naruto nods, splashing water with no particular direction. "Yeah. Last night."

Itachi can _feel_ Sasuke's cautious glee inside himself.

"Why, Namikaze?" Itachi calls out with amusement, placing his phone back on the pool chair. "The sex wasn't good enough for you?"

Naruto rolls his eyes. " _No_ , that's not it."

"Oh?" Itachi continues innocently.

Sasuke is smirking openly.

"He just …" Naruto stammers, splashing more water. "I mean, there was nothing _wrong_ with him. But he was – how do I put this? So he liked me, right? And sure, he was alright. But he just – his opinions were very … conventional. Nothing wrong with that, obviously! It just became a huge turn-off for me _personally_. I don't know. Something was missing."

"Yeah? Well, too bad," Sasuke says, and Itachi tries not to roll his eyes at his brother's obvious lying face.

* * *

_There's a firefly loose tonight_

_Better catch it before it burns the place down_

_And I lie if I don't feel so right_

_But the world looks better through your eyes_

Itachi finishes the song, his voice soft in the quiet of the room, under the warm glow of the bedside lamp. He's lying on his stomach, face turned to one side. Sakura is stretched out on top of him, head to toe, and her hair trickles down to spill over his eyes.

"Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"Again?"

He smiles. "On one condition."

"Yeah?"

"You have to sing, too."

And so they begin –

_I fell in love next to you_

_Burning fires in this room_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics mentioned belong to Ed Sheeran's Firefly. I highly recommend listening to the song. It sums up this chapter pretty perfectly.
> 
> The update cycle is 48 hours. Please review! :)
> 
> PLEASE READ: NoirOF has made beautiful Itachi fanart for my other story – The Nightingales.
> 
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/744087533138477191/761672521476866128/image0.jpg
> 
> The link is in my bio, as well. Please do check it out! It's absolutely wonderful. ^.^


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Fluffiness :P

Itachi's friends decide to take a road trip to the northern mountains over a weekend. Sasuke and his little gang join them after much consideration. They file into three cars with Kakashi, Kimimaro, and Konan driving one each.

During their ride, Itachi sends a text to Sakura. He attaches a photo of the scenery along with it.

_Hello Coco_

"Kakashi, can you play something that is _not_ classical?" Naruto asks with exasperation. He's sitting in the passenger seat for the trip, claiming _Kakashi will get lonely._

"Itachi's playlists," Sasuke explains. "Here, take my iPod. It has better music."

"Debatable," Itachi tells them.

Naruto attaches the device with Kakashi's help, and a moment later, Bruno Mars starts appreciating his girlfriend's perfection.

"Sasuke, I feel like I should introduce you to better music," Naruto laughs. "Hang on, let me play something of my taste."

"It better not be Taylor Swift," Sasuke grumbles.

"Why would it be Taylor Swift?" Naruto asks, puzzled.

"You both enjoy dissecting people's behaviours."

Itachi laughs. "Also, please do not play rap songs. My ears bleed."

"Are they always so picky?" Naruto asks Kakashi, who decides that his job is more important than teenagers' music choices, so he shrugs.

"I'm not extremely picky," Itachi defends. "I just don't like rap."

"And EDM," Sasuke adds. "He doesn't understand it."

"There's nothing there _to_ understand," he rolls his eyes.

"How about heavy metal?" Naruto queries.

Itachi visibly winces. "No. Please no."

Naruto ends up playing _Take Me Home_ by John Denver, and Itachi silently approves. His phone beeps with a message.

**Hello Pinocchio**

Sakura has attached a photo in return: a small spider crawling on the side-table.

_Never coming there again._

**We'll see ;)**

He smiles. _Get rid of that thing, please._

**Yes, Your Majesty. I've asked Sai for a pest control routine.**

_When will he do it?_

**Tonight.**

**When are you returning?**

_Sunday evening, in time for school._

"Hey, how long does it take to reach?" Naruto asks Kakashi. "Are we going to stop for breaks? Where will you stay once we're there? Oh wait, Kimimaro can share a room with you. Are you two like a package deal? Like Itachi and Sasuke?"

Sasuke snorts. "No, they're not a package deal, dobe."

"But you two are."

"Obviously," Itachi rolls his eyes.

"Yeah," Sasuke agrees. "And there are no secrets."

An odd thing to say, Itachi thinks, just as his phone beeps with another text message.

**Okay. I'll get some sleep this weekend XD**

_We could always call._

Naruto is studying Sasuke curiously, as if he understands some hidden meaning behind his words.

"You two have quite different personalities," Naruto continues, not acknowledging Sasuke's strange unasked bit of trivia. "It's weird."

"It's not weird," Itachi insists.

"But it is," Naruto says. "Sasuke and I could always settle our issues with a fight, while you run the other way whenever there's trouble."

"I don't run the other way," Itachi frowns. "I just dislike getting violent."

"But siblings always wrestle!"

Sasuke laughs. "Trust me, I tried. He hated it. I mean, he wouldn't even slap anyone."

Itachi holds up his left hand, the one that is not clutching his phone. "Piano hands."

"So how did you two settle your fights?" Naruto inquires.

The brothers exchange an amused smirk. "We placed bets. Or Kakashi and Kimimaro did it on our behalf," Sasuke answers the blonde. "We made them fight."

"What!" Naruto stares. "You made your bodyguards fight? And what? Sat and watched? You guys sound like those Roman people, who'd have gladiators for such things."

Itachi shrugs.

"So who used to win?"

"Kakashi, what's the tally?"

"405 to 355," Kakashi replies in a bored tone.

"Who's winning?"

"Kakashi," Itachi says smugly. "He's an off-duty soldier. Kimimaro learned it as a hobby."

"Hey," Sasuke protests. "It was not a hobby! Kimimaro is a great fighter. He was always training to become a bodyguard."

"Why don't you just train with him, then?" Naruto asks Sasuke. "Karate practice."

Sasuke snickers. "And what? Have him lose his job? He's supposed to protect me from harm, not become the cause of it."

His phone beeps. **You want to talk dirty on a phone call, Pretty Boy?**

_Maybe. Picturing you naked is almost better than seeing you naked._

**I'm in the shower right now.**

_Don't. I'm in the car with Naruto and Sasuke._

**Not my problem.**

For the next ten to twelve minutes, Sakura gives a detailed description about her shower shenanigans, which has Itachi almost regretting ever agreeing to this godforsaken road trip. Meanwhile, Naruto continues to ask Sasuke about their life in greater detail.

_You'll pay for this._

**Yeah? What will you do?**

_No fun in telling you._

**Bring it on.**

Naruto soon engages Sasuke in a conversation about the state of the country's economy under the guise of their latest assignment. Itachi has a feeling that Naruto will truly become a good leader one day.

* * *

The place is all glittering snowcaps and filtered sunlight. The resort is located on top of one of the mountains. Yahiko immediately insists on clicking pictures, and they spend the next twenty minutes posing in various groups and Itachi finds himself being squeezed by Naruto, his arms pinned to his sides, the words _I'm not Sasuke, you idiot_ on tip of his tongue. But then Naruto does the same with Sasuke, and Sasuke ends up clocking him on the head.

After that's out of the way, Naruto whistles appreciatively and drags Sasuke towards a nearby cliff.

He cups his palms over his lips and hollers, "Sasukeeeeee!" And then laughs with joy as the sound echoes in the mountains.

Sasuke is blushing up a storm. "What are you doing?!"

Itachi quickly turns on the video in his phone. He cannot miss this at any cost.

"Come on, you do it, too!" Naruto insists, shaking Sasuke's elbow rather enthusiastically.

"No."

"Teme! You just have to shout! Do it."

"I'm not a hooligan!"

Naruto tsks. "Once. I dare you."

"Naruto. Stop it."

"Scaredy cat."

That does it. Sasuke shoots such a hate-filled glare that Itachi is surprised Naruto doesn't cower in fear, before he remembers that if Sasuke ends up hitting him – yet again, Naruto is made from the same soil.

"Fine." Sasuke copies Naruto and cups his mouth. "Narutoooo!"

Nothing happens.

Naruto is laughing so hard, he doubles over, clutching Sasuke's shoulder for support. "Louder, teme!"

Sasuke fills his lungs with as much oxygen as possible, and lets out another shout. "Narutoooo!"

The name echoes in the mountains.

Naruto is grinning from ear-to-ear, and Sasuke is breathless, beaming back. "Let's do it again."

They keep calling each other's names and listen to it reverberating in nature as it bounces the sound back to them. Naruto soon ropes in everyone else.

Hinata tries three variations of "Naruto!" that doesn't have any effect whatsoever. Yahiko says "Kitsune!" Naruto says "Suigetsu", and Suigetsu says "Nagato!" Nagato yells "Konan!", and Konan goes for "Kisame!" Kisame understands the game, and howls Zetsu's name. Zetsu calls out "Itachii!"

Itachi pauses, thinking. Sasuke is taking the video now, and Itachi shoots a quick smirk in the camera, before cupping his mouth, and roars, "Coco!"

The name echoes back.

"What did he say?" Kisame questions, puzzled.

"Coco," Konan answers.

Sasuke lowers the camera and stares. Itachi avoids returning the gaze.

"Why the fuck would you say raw chocolate?" Yahiko laughs.

Naruto grabs their attention, intentionally or unintentionally, as he suddenly yells out another, "Sasuke-temeeee!"

"Someone's crushing hard," Suigetsu teases. "Hundred bucks say that Kitsune is going to make a move on him tonight."

Naruto and Sasuke blush, and the blonde raises his chin defiantly. "Everyone crushes on Sasuke. That's not news! Have you ever looked at the guy? You should see him in karate class. Man, that's some intense stuff."

"Get a room!" Nagato claps Naruto on the shoulder.

"Speaking of," Sasuke cuts in. "Let's check them out. I'm freezing out here!"

They file into the mountainside wooden resort with their bags. Itachi rooms with Sasuke, despite Suigetsu's insistence that Naruto has earned the right to do so. Naruto throws his arm across Suigetsu's shoulder, and wiggles his eyebrows.

"It's you and me, Hozuki," he grins.

Itachi calls dibs on the shower. He stands under the hot spray and feels the chill seeping out of him with each passing second. Sasuke must be waiting, he knows, but he needs a moment to recalibrate his thoughts. He shouldn't have said her name. Of course, not that anyone knows that it's Sakura – even so. He was in the moment and he didn't think through it. All he wanted was to –

_Nothing_. He didn't want anything. It was simply a glitch, an error in judgement.

When Sasuke goes for his shower, Itachi opens Sakura's chat box. He wants to type something, _anything_ , but doesn't know what. The time is 9.13 PM, and she must be busy, he knows. He locks his phone without texting, and focuses on the view outside his window instead.

* * *

The resort has its own restaurant, obviously. It's the only place in miles. Itachi sits between Sasuke and Konan, as they order food and drinks. The establishment belongs to one of Kakashi's friends, Umino Iruka. The man constantly smiles and takes an instant liking to Naruto.

However, it's not a private resort. There are about twenty other guests, from backpackers to old couples to young adults. Itachi notices a young blonde trying to catch his attention. She's sitting with a group of – who are clearly – her friends. They're making quite a ruckus, actually, and Itachi tries to ignore their existence as much as possible.

The blonde isn't all too bad to look at, Itachi knows.

Halfway through dinner, his phone beeps. He quickly pulls it out, but it's a random group forward. Feeling a rush of – he doesn't want to say disappointment, because it's not that, it's _not_ – he pockets it back.

Everything is going fine – meaning Kisame, Suigetsu, and Yahiko are in the middle of a debate about which teacher is the worst, Hinata and Konan are speaking amongst themselves and giggling secretively, Zetsu is sipping at his drink quietly, and Naruto is in the middle of another one of his speeches with Sasuke – this time on backpackers and their way of living – when the blonde woman approaches their table.

"Hi," she greets, looking straight at Itachi.

Naruto falters, an unreadable expression dawning on his face.

"Hello," he says.

"I'm Yugito."

"Itachi."

"I know," she grins. "Uchiha Itachi, right? That's your brother, Sasuke?"

Itachi exchanges a quick look with said man. Sasuke shrugs back.

"Yes."

Itachi thinks that he shouldn't be all that surprised; Uchiha is an established name, and the brothers have huge following on social media, until –

"I saw your girlfriend's video online. Izumi?"

Right.

Itachi clenches his jaw. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Ex," Yugito corrects herself.

"What about it?"

"Nothing. Just recognized you. Although … can I buy you a drink, maybe?"

Itachi's hand rests on his thigh, above his phone, as though on reflex. He swallows, stares, and doesn't speak. Sasuke narrows his eyes.

"I …uh …" he stammers uncertainly. "Alright."

_It's just a drink_ , he tells himself, not knowing why he's feeling guilty. Or why he thinks of _her_ , when what they share is nothing but physical. Of course, Itachi is free to pursue his own interests. Yugito seems to be interested enough, if nothing else.

As they lean against the bar table, Yugito tells him that she's on a vacation with her college friends, and that she attends Kiri University, and is majoring in Software Engineering, and is in first year of college. Itachi listens attentively, trying to focus on this girl, and not the one who is probably hanging out with Sai as he sprays pesticide around her motel room. Yugito already knows plenty about him due to the online articles. She is obviously impressed by his family name, his achievements, and his interests, but can't hold a conversation on it. She suggests going out for a walk, and Itachi complies, one hand in his pocket, clutching at his phone.

There's a lit path around the resort, and they stick to it. Various boards are stuck in the ground with warnings not to wander in the dark, because the cliffs are not easily visible under the moonlight. Yugito makes small talk the whole way, and they reach a bench soon.

Itachi sits beside her stiffly. Yugito doesn't waste a lot of time. She starts to trace his right knee, up his thigh, and leans in to nibble at his ear. Itachi's heart is hammering inside his chest. He reminds himself that he _likes_ this, that he enjoys sex, that he enjoys the power play of it, the pleasure that comes from it. Sex is pleasure. Sex is art. Sex is –

Yugito's lips trail down to his jaw and he jerks his face the other way as though on reflex. Without losing steam, she continues down his throat instead, and her hand is still on his thigh, teasing him.

"Relax," she whispers. "You're not a virgin, are you?"

"No."

She gets to her feet, dragging him up by his hand. There is a dark corner nearby, and she leads him all the way until he's backed against a solid wall behind him. She unzips his jacket slowly, and buries her hands under his shirt. Itachi's stomach tightens.

"Relax," she repeats.

He tries, he really does. He thinks of the way this would warm him up, the release it will provide him with. He licks his cold lips, and makes a mental note that _this is good, sex is good, you like this, deep breath, deep breath, deeeeeep breath –_

His phone makes a sudden noise.

Itachi nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Ignore it," Yugito advices, now popping open his shirt buttons, and nibbling at his neck – Itachi is still keeping his face away from her reach.

He finds that he can't ignore it. He has to look at it. He just has to, because Sai must be in her motel room right now, spraying pesticide, and if it's really her this time, then Itachi should be attending to it, because if he doesn't, he will torture himself with all the mental pictures throughout the night, and probably screw Yugito out of spite.

He considers it. Yugito has a nice body, and she's obviously interested. It won't even take that long. Itachi can hold her against the wall and make her scream out his name, and hear it echo in the mountains.

But Sakura's face flashes in his mind. The apple green eyes. The pink strands. The freckled cheeks and the freckled neck.

" _Fuck!_ " he spits out angrily.

He pushes Yugito away from him immediately. She stumbles back in surprise. "Hey, what the-!"

Itachi ignores her and pulls out his phone. If this is not her, if Itachi is having a fucking moral crisis for _nothing_ , then he really doesn't know what he might do, maybe pull Yugito close and –

It's her. Banana Flyer.

Itachi's fingers are trembling as he tries to hold the phone steadily, and reads the message.

**The spider has been thrown out, Your Majesty.**

**Sai says "You're welcome Sugar Daddy"**

And Itachi laughs, suddenly feeling a rush of affection for both Sakura and Sai. A strange longing passes through him, a feeling of homesickness, not for his own spacious bedroom, but the motel room numbered 4.

"What's the matter?"

Itachi's head snaps up. "Sorry," he says, not really feeling apologetic. "Not interested."

Yugito raises a cool eyebrow, and crosses her arms across her chest. "Complicated relationship?" she asks with a bob towards the phone in his hand.

He stops, thinks, and then slowly nods. "Kind of."

She shrugs. "Alright. I must say, though, I do regret it. You're too sexy to pass up."

Itachi chuckles. "You, too."

"Yeah, right, I believe you," she says sarcastically. "Let's head back. We could hang out at the bonfire later. I think Fuu likes that chick friend of yours – the one with the grey eyes."

He nods distractedly, and types back. _Sai is ready to be introduced to Beauty and the Beast._

**He's already seen it. But he says he wouldn't mind since zoophilia doesn't get voiced enough.**

_Punch him, please._

**Already did.**

_That's the spirit._

* * *

Fuu does hit on Hinata as they sit around the bonfire. Hinata, for her credit, entertains her for a while, but explains with a blush that she's straight. Fuu takes it well, but stays with her, regardless, yapping about random things.

Kakashi, Kimimaro, and Iruka are on one side, smoking a joint between them, and taking slow sips of the brandy. Yugito's friends are all from the same University. Bee tries to teach Naruto some rap that has Itachi wincing throughout. Then there's Han, Roushi, and Yagura, whose conversations are borderline psychopathic. At one point, Bee brings out his guitar at Naruto's insistence.

He strums a few notes to tune the instrument. Sasuke starts filming.

Despite Itachi's apprehension, Bee doesn't sing rap. He smiles softly, as though sharing a secret with himself, and begins –

_When you try your best but you don't succeed_

_When you get what you want but not what you need_

_When you feel so tired but you can't sleep_

_Stuck in reverse_

Itachi stares at the fire. And when the second verse starts, he quietly joins in.

_When the tears come streaming down your face_

_When you lose something that you can't replace_

_When you love someone but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse?_

And then everyone is singing under the stars, and the sound echoes around the silent mountains, the nature returning their words back to them –

_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try to fix you_

* * *

As Itachi had told Sakura, they return on Sunday evening, in time for school on the following day. He doesn't get a chance to meet her until Wednesday night, though.

Sakura asks him about his trip, and Itachi shows her the photos and tells her of the scenic roads, the glittering snow, the silent mountains that mirror your sound back to you – because that's the important bit, not Yugito's advances or his refusal to sleep with her or the _complicated relationship?_ and him slowly nodding, saying, _Kind of_.

When Sakura undresses him, taking her sweet little time with it, Itachi's heart is hammering in his chest. If Sakura notices the way his fingers tremble while undoing the clasp of her bra, she doesn't comment. She doesn't comment even when Itachi doesn't rush this time, doesn't tug her hair, doesn't bark _You'll pay for this_ , doesn't hold her against the wall almost painfully.

He kisses her with the face that he'd resolutely kept away from Yugito, because Yugito is Yugito, not Sakura, and Sakura is the one who knows the way Itachi enjoys nibbling down on the lower lip, and because Sakura is the one who sings in broken notes, and says, _Never stop dancing_. He kisses her with the mouth that still remembers _lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you_. He kisses her with lips that roared _Coco_ in the mountains and the mountains said it back.

When Itachi finishes, he watches silently as the full body blush is still fading away from her skin, and doesn't climb on top of her this time around to twist and pinch and suck and bite – but counts the freckles on her cheeks, times her breaths, and when she turns to him, he doesn't look away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song credit - Fix You, Coldplay
> 
> UPDATE CYCLE IS NOW 24 HOURS! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Sasuke looks ready to explode.

Every year, the Uchihas hold the Christmas charity gala for the wealthy and generous members of the society. It takes place in their house itself, in the ballroom on the ground floor. Sasuke and Itachi are dressed up in black tuxedoes, and Mikoto hasn’t stopped gushing over their achievements.

Which is absolutely fine, except for the fact that she introduces Sasuke to a girl called Karin, saying, “Aren’t they simply perfect together?”

Karin is swooning over the matchmaking, and glues herself to Sasuke after that. It isn’t only him who is irritated, though, because Mikoto expresses her delight over his break-up with Izumi, _never liked that girl much_ , and introduces Itachi to a girl called Samui.

Apart from Naruto and Izumi, everyone is present for the event with their parents as per usual. To be fair, this isn’t the first time Mikoto has introduced them to girls during social gatherings, but it _feels_ different this time around. Sasuke and Itachi come to an unspoken agreement that they must spend as much time as possible with their friends, so that they don’t have to be alone with their respective dates. Having decided that, they insist _allow us to introduce you to our friends_.

Halfway through dinner, Samui tells them that Izumi has joined the school that she attends. She tells them that Izumi has been trying to gather girls for her cause.

“What cause?” Sasuke asks with disgust.

“The whole feminism cause,” Samui tells him. “You saw her video, didn’t you? Itachi is now the face of everything that is wrong with wealthy male kids. The arrogance, the dominance, the exploitation of power – moreover, everything that is wrong with a stereotypical concept of a man. Which is to say the emotional distance, the cold attitude, the selfish nature, being unable to tolerate a girl of equal status. Etc.”

“But there are thousands of such people in the world!” Suigetsu says incredulously. Before Sasuke can protest, he continues. “I’m not saying Itachi is that. Let’s consider for a minute that what she says is true – just for a minute, Sasuke! Even if Itachi is all that, he’s hardly the only _wealthy male kid_ , as you put it. Why target him? No offence, but there are wealthier kids in the world who are worse than him.”

Samui tsks. “It doesn’t work like that.”

Karin cuts in. “Look,” she begins patiently. “Itachi isn’t the only one, of course. But whether you like it or not, Izumi does have influence in the society. For her, Itachi is the villain. So she’s going to try and do everything in her power to bring him down. Itachi isn’t a world famous personality, so yes, he’s going to be one of the hundreds. But he’s also an Uchiha. Now, think about this – there are many articles on social media that have dissected her video – because it’s viral – and her social media feed is clear enough to point towards Itachi even if they don’t know him personally. When he becomes even more of a public figure, like when he takes over the company for example, he’s already marked as someone who is a misogynist. It doesn’t matter how much noise she’s making right now, and whether Itachi is or isn’t what she claims him to be. The damage is already done.”

“Exactly,” Samui agrees, nodding.

“Do you believe her?” Sasuke asks bluntly. “You attend the same school. You know her side of it.”

Karin and Samui exchange a meaningful look, and then Karin answers. “We know many students who’ve done this. Slandering men because they believe in the superiority of females – not equality. And that’s what she’s trying to convince everyone of. That she deserved everything simply because she was the girlfriend and then a girl, and how society has always ignored a woman’s cry for help at the expense of a man’s achievements.”

“She has the last point correct,” Konan says thoughtfully. “I mean, it doesn’t apply to what happened between her and Itachi, but it _has_ happened a lot in general.”

“But it’s changing,” Hinata points out. “Look at us, Konan. We’re attending a good school, we’re being trained to carry our family name forward. It’s not all that bad.”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing,” Konan insists. “Princess, if you think about my parents – they’re still pretty backward.” As she says it, she throws an angry glance to her parents, sitting a few seats down the large table, having a nice conversation with Yahiko’s parents. “I’m being _allowed_ my freedom before they marry me off. That’s not what we’re fighting for. We’re not fighting for _allowance_ , we’re fighting for _natural rights_.”

“Hear, hear,” Samui smirks and holds up her glass of wine.

“So you don’t believe her? Izumi?” Yahiko clarifies.

“Well,” Samui shifts uncomfortably. “We didn’t believe her completely, but only because we don’t know Itachi on a personal level. It didn’t feel right. I mean, obviously, I don’t mean to say that it discredits her suffering in any way – but it doesn’t always mean that the man was wrong. I guess we just decided not to take sides, because it doesn’t concern us, to be honest.”

Sasuke clears his throat. “What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”

There’s a beat of hush.

“That’s …” Karin starts. “Intense.”

“A friend of mine said it to me,” Sasuke mutters, ears burning red. “Naruto. He’s quite passionate about everything in life.”

Samui chuckles. “Is he here?”

“No,” Sasuke shakes his head. “He’s not … not the gala type.”

“He’s poor,” Kisame states flatly. “He’s basically on the receiving end of these donations.”

“No, he’s not,” Sasuke snaps at him angrily. “His parents own a bookstore. It’s a business, Hoshigaki.”

And Itachi thinks of Minato and Kushina, and _lick the plate if you have to_. “That’s enough, Kisame,” he says. “Naruto is our friend.”

“He is Sasuke’s friend,” Kisame corrects him.

“And mine,” Itachi glares.

“Mine, as well,” Suigetsu adds, just as Hinata says, “Same.”

Kisame rolls his eyes, and takes a sip of his champagne. “Let’s not get dramatic now.”

“You’re being an ass,” Konan tells him. “Naruto is great.”

“Totally,” Yahiko agrees and Nagato nods. “Right, Zets?”

Zetsu gives a slight nod, too.

“There we go,” Kisame mutters disdainfully. “This is not a movie, you guys. Where you pity the poor kid, befriend him, and you’re suddenly best buddies. This is the real world. Namikaze has no place in it. He belongs in that sorry excuse of a bookstore.”

Kisame is Itachi’s childhood friend. They’ve spent years supporting each other, encouraging each other, being there for each other. They’ve had their share of fun and arguments. But in this moment, at the brink of being an adult, Itachi wonders whether Kisame is the one who changed, or Itachi himself. The real world that Kisame speaks about is filled with reindeer walkers, illegal stays in motel rooms, and growing up in trailer parks. It’s filled with traveling musicians, of muffled screams in empty houses, with people refusing to lose hope, with kids who were sold at the tender age of ten, and with people who sneak in homeless girls in motel rooms and hide them from their own family.

Itachi feels an odd hunger in his gut. He pulls out his phone and opens Banana Flyer’s chat below the table surface. Itachi has recently convinced her to put up a profile picture, when she’d been refusing to do so. Undeterred, he began clicking her photos in his own phone and then sending her the ones he liked. Eventually, she selected one as the profile picture – in which her head is buried in the pillow, facing him, a single green eye peeking out from the a thin curtain of soft pink hair. A small, secretive smile is pulled at her lips, and it’s all mischievous and melting trees.

Itachi first opens the photo and feels the same strange tug in his gut again. The last text had been from the previous night, when Itachi came home from her motel room, and he’d texted –

_I’ll be thinking of your “favour” through the night._

To which she’d replied, **You better.**

Itachi has no idea what he wants to text. All he knows is that he wants to speak with her, something, _anything_ , and see what she’s doing, too. It’s Christmas Eve, and what they have is only sex, but Itachi wants to know her Christmas plans, anyway.

_Any plans for tonight?_

No reply.

Itachi pockets the phone, now feeling foolish, despite knowing that she must be busy. The club has their Christmas party tonight. Obito has already sent out invites to everyone. Obviously, they couldn’t attend because the charity gala is a yearly affair, and they’re expected to be present for it.

“Can we come back to the point?” Zetsu interferes, before the topic can be escalated.

“Right,” Samui says awkwardly, and diverts them to a safer topic: New Year’s Eve plans.

Samui and Karin prove to be interesting individuals, overall, and Itachi tries to focus on that. Sasuke keeps ungluing himself from Karin through every advance that she makes towards him, until finally he hisses at her lowly that he’s gay.

Karin flushes a deep, _deep_ red. “Sorry,” she squeaks. “I didn’t – I mean, your mother-!”

“She doesn’t approve,” Sasuke tells her dryly.

“Right,” she says awkwardly. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. Let’s just – not, you know?”

She nods vigorously. “Yes, of course!”

Samui, on the other hand, doesn’t make any advances towards Itachi, and he wonders whether she lied about not believing Izumi entirely, until she admits to him that she has a boyfriend that _her_ parents don’t approve of.

“Besides,” she grins with amusement, “you’re not all that great.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she nods. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re pretty as fuck. No denying that. But you’re not my type.”

“What’s your type?”

“Definitely not you,” she laughs. “But okay, my boyfriend? He’s married so I can’t tell you who it is. But he’s into boxing. You’re … you look as if you’ve never even slapped anyone.”

“I haven’t,” Itachi admits.

She’s beaming at him and Itachi feels a light blush warm his cheeks. Something about her feels familiar, but he can’t quite put his finger on it.

Dr. Orochimaru approaches Itachi at one point, wearing his Hawaiian shirt, cargo pants, and beads combination as always, with no regards to the _black tie event_ written on the invitations. His intention seems to be making meaningless small talk, and Itachi entertains him because his parents never tolerate anything less than grace during social events.

* * *

It’s past midnight when they’re lounging at the swimming pool, while all the adults are chitchatting and donating and holding serious discussions inside. Itachi is sitting with Hinata and Konan with feet dipped in water, when his phone beeps with a text message.

**Hi! Plans to work :P there is a huge crowd tonight, so everyone is pulling their weight!**

Itachi doesn’t realise that he’s smiling until Konan nudges his shoulders, and peers at his screen. “Who the fuck is Banana Flyer?”

“No one,” Itachi quickly replies and locks the phone before she can read the content. “Just a joke.”

It beeps again with another text alert. Itachi can’t help himself. He holds the screen near his face to quickly look at the message.

**What about you? Some fancy event, right?**

He makes sure that neither Konan nor Hinata is paying attention to him before typing out a reply.

_Yes. Can we meet? If you have a break._

The reply is instant. **How about 1.30?**

_Perfect. I’ll be there._

**Okay.**

Itachi suggests going to Obito’s party as casually as possible. He says that they’re already dressed up, the adults don’t need them, and they’ll have more fun at the nightclub. They instantly agree, and Sasuke says that he’ll pick up Naruto on his way, too. It doesn’t take a lot to convince their parents, either, who are busy with “adult responsibilities.” To be honest, Mikoto looks happy just to hear that Sasuke and Itachi will be taking Karin and Samui as their dates.

When they reach the club, the party is in full swing. Obito says that they don’t need to be in private rooms tonight, because the crowd is mixed, and no one will care if they’re teenagers and underage.

“Only restriction is,” he yells over the loud music, “tell Hidan to serve you drinks. The bartenders are instructed to strictly check the IDs. And I’ll get you an outdoor table as soon as possible. Until then, wait by the bar, and enjoy the dance floor.”

So they do just that. Samui doesn’t make any advances, and he’s truly grateful. He doesn’t need another incident of moral crisis so soon. He feels all kinds of weird emotions as it is, and the only one he bothers to categorise is the excitement thrumming under his skin at the prospect of meeting Sakura – despite having undressed her just the previous night, despite having bunched up her pink hair and let it fall apart just the previous night, despite having her breathe softly in his neck just the previous night.

Itachi keeps checking the time on his phone as they drink and dance, and the moment it blinks to 1.30 AM, he excuses himself as coolly as possible.

Sakura is at the Exit staircase again.

“Hi.”

She looks up. “You’re wearing a tux.”

He shrugs. “Fancy event, remember?”

She gets to her feet and stalks towards him in a way that has his stomach doing summersaults. Her hand extends to trace the soft fabric of his shirt, over his chest. “Not bad.”

He smirks down at her. “Everyone is here, by the way. They’re outside, if you want to meet them.”

“Maybe later,” she concedes.

“Later?”

In response, she pops open the buttons on his shirt one by one, until his torso is revealed. He doesn’t interrupt.

“Anyone could come here,” he remarks coolly. “You want to risk it?”

They typically lock the door of the staff washroom for these things, although, he hasn’t met her at the club in quite a while now. He prefers the motel room.

Sakura takes his hand in hers and leads him up the staircase. Since the entire club in itself is a penthouse, there is no upper floor exactly, but a door that is used to access the water tank and the solar panels. She doesn’t open the door, though. Instead, she pushes him against it, and starts to unbuckle his belt and pant buttons.

“Anyone could _hear_ us,” he says, but makes no move to stop her, one hand in pocket, his usual supply of condoms at the tip of his fingers.

“Then don’t call out my name,” she advices and snakes her hand inside.

Itachi focuses on her face, her eyes, and when she takes him in her mouth, he doesn’t care about the rules as much. He doesn’t call out her name, not her real name, at least, but _Coco_ – and Sakura hums in approval which essentially blanks him out for the next few minutes.

He wants to return the favour, and the only possible way to do it is for him to shrug out of his jacket, roll the sleeves of his shirt, and hope to god that the stairs are not too dirty. Sakura is biting down on her arm to stop from making too many noises, and Itachi doubles his efforts because – it’s a moment, just a moment, but he wants her to call out his name and _hopes_ that someone does hear her.

And then when he’s inside her, against the door that leads to the water tank and the solar panels, he says in a strained voice, “Merry Christmas, baby.”

Sakura nips on his neck in response, and breathes out, “Merry freaking Christmas to you, too.”

* * *

Sasuke is shooting him suspicious looks. In fact, he’s been doing that a lot recently.

Itachi tries to ignore them as he drinks and dances, listens to Samui because she’s a good conversationalist, and knows how to play a guitar. They talk about their favourite artists, types of music that they find difficult to perform, and she invites him to one of her band’s performances on New Year’s Eve. They exchange phone numbers, and he promises to get back to her on it, wondering whether Sakura would like to –

Naruto asks Hidan about Sakura, and the man says that she’ll get free only after the closing hours now, that he missed her break time. Naruto proceeds to insist that they should wait until her shift is over, because it’s Christmas, and that’s what Christmas is all about, anyway.

“No, it really isn’t,” Kisame says.

“You are free to leave,” Sasuke says stiffly. “I’ll wait with Naruto.”

Naruto positively beams at him. Hinata, Suigetsu, and Konan agree to hang back, as well. Samui and Karin shrug, saying they haven’t made other plans, anyway. Sasuke then raises his eyebrows at Itachi, and Itachi only nods.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Zetsu leave mostly because they drink too much and want to sleep. Kisame storms out after them.

They really do wait until closing hours. Itachi paces his drinks, and he isn’t the only one to do so. The nightclub begins to empty slowly after 2.30 AM, until it’s just their group and the staff members.

Obito spends some time with them, asking how the gala went, promising to drop by the house the next day, _I’ll bring Shisui and Naori, too_. When Sakura walks out, still in her uniform, she stops in surprise to see them, clearly not expecting anyone to be waiting around. Naruto waves her over excitedly.

“We stayed back to spend Christmas with you,” he says happily.

Sakura quickly looks at Itachi then back at the blonde. “You didn’t have to do that,” she says nicely. “Besides, I still have work. This is going to take time.”

Itachi knows that Sakura does stay in touch with Naruto, and wonders for the first time whether Naruto’s unreadable expressions have something to do with that.

Obito waves her off, saying that she can be excused. “You’re a friend of my nephew,” he says. “No offence, but Itachi will throw a tantrum if I make you work now.”

“What?” Itachi forces out, his heart hammering inside his chest. _Does he know?_

Sasuke, Naruto, and now Obito. _What the hell is happening?_

Obito stares at him, and Itachi has no idea what he sees on his face, but he amends his words. “Sasuke’s tantrums are not noteworthy. I can take his anytime.” And then he skilfully diverts the conversation so the focus from Itachi is shifted.

Except for Sasuke’s.

Itachi doubles his efforts in ignoring his looks, trying not to panic.

“Can Hidan come, too?” Sakura asks, fidgeting, biting her lips.

“Why the hell not,” Obito laughs. “I’m feeling the Christmas vibes. Tell him I gave the green signal.”

“Thank you,” she grins and excuses herself, saying that she’ll be back out in fifteen.

She returns with Hidan. He has no idea what to make of the situation, but Naruto takes the initiative with official introductions, something they hadn’t concerned themselves with during the various times Hidan had been their server. Itachi glances at Konan; she’s avoiding the man completely. Now, Itachi knows that Konan did intend Hidan to be a casual partner, but the arguments with Kisame must have been a huge turn off. He also knows that Konan stopped her interactions with Hidan simply because she was too tired to defend her actions.

Hidan doesn’t speak with her, either. He sticks with Sakura and Naruto. Samui suggests going for a night-out at her farmhouse.

“It’s not too far from the city,” she explains. “It’s always empty. And there’s a cliff in the back where we could chill.”

Karin gushes over the location a bit more, until Suigetsu cuts in and says that they’re okay with the plan.

* * *

Itachi tells Kakashi to make sure that Sakura ends up in his car when they leave from Kamui.

During the ride, Itachi wastes no time in making out with her in the backseat, trying to tamp down on the _something_ rattling around his brain. Kakashi ignores their existence, and serenely drives towards their destination.

Sakura is practically on his lap, and Itachi has his hands fisted in her hair.

“Who’s the girl?” she pants in his mouth. “The blonde one?”

Samui had shown every intention of joining Itachi in his car, until Sasuke insisted that she come with him, because he’s interested to know more about “Izumi’s fight”.

“Why?” he mutters. “You jealous?”

Sakura doesn’t like that assumption because she bites on his lip harshly. “Who is that?” she repeats.

“My mother’s choice for me.”

She stops and pulls back from him. “Excuse me?”

Itachi evens out his breaths. “My mother introduced us during the gala earlier tonight.”

Sakura’s eyes harden. “She’s your date?” she asks flatly.

Itachi traces one finger on her cheek, and takes it as a good sign that she doesn’t pull away. “Basically, yes. But she has a boyfriend.”

Sakura deflates slightly. “Right.”

A heavy silence falls between them. This is just sex, Itachi reminds himself. There is no reason for Sakura to be jealous, or for him to defend himself. They’re free to pursue whomever they wish.

Itachi doesn’t know what to say after that, and he thinks that resuming their make-out session doesn’t feel right anymore. He slides his hands up her thighs, over her hips, her waist, across her shoulders, down her arms, and intertwines their fingers.

They look at each other.

Sakura hesitatingly places a soft kiss on his forehead, and he immediately buries his face in her neck, still trying and failing miserably to stop his mind from rattling. She holds him without question, until Kakashi says that they’ll reach in under five minutes.

* * *

The farmhouse is spacious and tastefully decorated. Samui gives them a short tour, then shows them to the bar.

“Take whatever you want,” she says. “We can carry the bottles to the cliff.”

They switch on their phone torches as they stroll on the darkened path that leads to the spot Samui insists upon. Itachi feels it is safe to lace his fingers with Sakura’s behind him, and she squeezes back in response.

The spot overlooks the city, and the air is chilly. Karin and Suigetsu have grabbed a few blankets from Samui’s house, and they lay out two on the ground for them to sit on. Itachi takes one blanket, and Sasuke and Naruto squeeze on one side, while Sakura squeezes on the other. Again, he grabs her hand under the thick fabric, and she doesn’t pull away.

Mostly, they drink in silence. Some of them strike up conversations, but they fade out in the stillness of the night, the quiet sky, and the distant lights of the cars below.

At one point, Sakura gets to her feet, announcing that she needs to walk, that her legs feel cramped. Hinata and Naruto join her, and they’re nothing but three bobbing torches a little down the edge of the cliff. Itachi keeps them in sight, until Sasuke nudges him lightly.

“You’re staring,” he tells him in a low voice. “You keep staring as if she’s going to disappear.”

And Itachi finds it ridiculous that he’s tried to hide his relation with Sakura, albeit a physical one, from _Sasuke_. He doesn’t ask him how he knows, because this is his brother, and Itachi has spent months with Sakura and _how did he ever think that Sasuke never noticed_?

“I just,” Itachi stammers. “I don’t know. Something feels … it’s nothing.”

But stare he does. He feels jittery, the same way he’d felt one Monday night – the night before Itachi was to meet Sakura, a Tuesday, he remembers clearly, to offer her the job at Obito’s nightclub. The restlessness was borne out of the prospect of approaching her, and he knew that if she agreed to it, he would be cementing _something_. Of course, he hadn’t known that it would lead to this moment.

_What moment is this, exactly?_

Their relation is purely physical, he reminds himself, but he knows her in a way that he hasn’t bothered getting to know anyone else.

Itachi can safely admit to himself now that he’d been instantly attracted to her despite the muddy stains, despite the tattered clothes, despite her snarky _Pretty Boy_ and _Your Majesty_. Over the course of months, Itachi has wondered whether soulmates are real. And yes, he does hate himself for having such a clichéd question, but he has no other words to describe this … this …

During one of his ballet practices, Utakata sat down with him and explained the emotion that he wanted Itachi to convey through every movement of his hands, his feet, his body, his every breath.

_“There are many kinds of love in the world,” he says. “One of them is the kind that’s beyond comprehension, the kind that’s just there, as if it had always existed even before the person himself existed.”_

Itachi never questioned his logic, because the man is one of the best ballet dancers in the world. If Itachi knows something for certain, it is to never question either of his mentors.

“Talk to her,” Sasuke suggests. “No one here will find it odd. I’ll text Naruto to come back.”

Itachi gets to his feet. No one pays him any mind as he begins to walk in the direction of the three distant torchlights. As soon as he reaches the group, Naruto’s phone beeps. He reads the message, gives the same unreadable expression to Itachi that he’s done many times, and coolly asks Hinata if she could accompany him back. She laughs softly about him being scared of the dark.

Then it’s just the two of them. Sakura raises her eyebrows in a silent question. He asks for her phone, turns off the torch, hands it back. It takes a few moments to adjust to the moonlight.

Itachi doesn’t know what to say. He has no idea why he took Sasuke’s suggestion seriously when he has no clue what to do with it. Although, it does feel nice to be able to speak with her when they’re not in her motel room or in the staff washroom at the club. They’ve never been on an outing together except for one time in Gelato and another in Starbucks, and Itach finds it rather odd – and then reminds himself that their relation is purely physical, anyway. There was no reason for an outing.

Except.

Except that he wants to see the trailer park that she grew up in, wants to meet her friends, and wants his own group of friends to accept her.

“May I kiss you?” he asks softly, as if he’s never ever kissed her before.

Sakura gulps and licks her lips. “Okay.”

So he does. He steps forward and leans down, his hands coming to wrap around her waist. Sakura stands on her toes to reach him properly. It’s a soft kiss, not rough or desperate.

When he tries to pull back, she doesn’t let him. She tightens her hold on his neck, and he complies. The hunger soon settles in and Itachi knows, he _knows_ that if anyone comes up the path with a torchlight, there would be no more secrets. The rest of the group is at least far away enough that the two of them will not be immediately visible in the darkness of the night.

Itachi backs her up against a nearby tree. Something feels … he doesn’t know what. There has been something different every time they’ve hooked-up.

“She’s your date,” Sakura gasps out when Itachi is sucking on her throat – not too harsh to leave a mark, but he knows that she enjoys it.

“I don’t care,” he says, hands under her T-shirt.

“Really?”

“Yes.” He leaves a trail of light bites across her collarbone.

“This is temporary,” she says.

And Itachi picks her up and she automatically wraps her legs around his hips. He would have preferred if there were no clothes between them, but it’s not possible, so he makes do with what he can.

“No,” he corrects, moving his hips against her. “I told you already. Not temporary.”

“So what?” she challenges, and moans at a particular thrust. “You’ll get dates and then we’ll screw under trees?”

“Sakura,” he groans in her neck. “She’s not my date. I don’t care even if she is. I’m here with you.”

“We can’t keep doing this,” she breathes out shakily.

Itachi grinds his hips harder. “Why not?” he demands. “You don’t want to?” He sucks at the skin near her ear. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

“Trust me,” she says, “you don’t want to know what I want.”

Itachi stops his ministrations entirely to catch her gaze. “Try me.”

She doesn’t look away. “I want you to kiss me.”

And he complies. Itachi doesn’t know how Sakura still hasn’t figured out the power that she holds over him. He’s done things he had never even considered before, and surely, she can’t be worried about any girl being his date because this is Sakura, and who is he to deny her of anything?

“What else?” he asks after.

“Anyone could come here,” she says instead. “Anyone could hear us. You really want to risk it?”

And he understands.

“No more secrets, huh?” he brushes a few strands of hair away from her face. “What else?”

She swallows. “Promise me that you won’t look for me.”

He stops breathing. A cold block settles in his gut. Itachi doesn’t move away from her. He keeps her pinned against the tree, with her legs around his hips.

“What? What did you say?”

Sakura’s jaw clenches. “Promise me that you won’t look for me,” she repeats firmly.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

She doesn’t even flinch. “I’m leaving, Itachi. I’m leaving and we cannot continue this.”

Itachi thinks that his breathing might be rapid for a completely different reason, but he ignores it. He ignores it and stares at her. “What the fuck does that even mean, Sakura? Where are you going? Why are you even leaving!”

She brings her hands to his shoulders and slides them up to cup his jaw. “I just – I just have to leave, okay?”

“Were you even planning to tell me, if we hadn’t met tonight?” he asks, feeling thoroughly betrayed.

Sakura bites down on her lip. “It doesn’t matter. I have to leave.”

“No. Explain it to me, please. Explain me why you’re leaving me because I don’t understand any of this.”

He finally steps away from her, puts some distance between them, because when it had always felt safe to be near her, suddenly feels horribly dangerous.

“I’m not leaving _you_ ,” she says softly. “I’m leaving the city. And since this was always just physical, there is no reason for us to be in touch anymore.”

“But _why_?” Itachi says loudly, not caring if his voice gets carried to the others. “ _Tell me why!_ ”

“Because this will never go anywhere!” she exclaims suddenly. “Tell me that there is a point to this. Tell me that our hook-ups mean anything beyond hook-ups. Tell me how it is even remotely possible for you and me to be together.”

Itachi blinks rapidly. “You want us to be together?”

“I …” she says helplessly. “I just – I can’t do it. Itachi, you … you throw students out of school because you’re mad at them because you can do that sort of thing. My parents … my parents died because someone out there got mad at them and they disrupted my entire life!”

His jaw snaps shut.

“I came to the _streets_!” she continues heatedly. “And it’s been very difficult. I’m not … I’m not saying that your life is easy – I’m not. But I can’t ignore the reason for mine any longer.”

His breathing is rapid, and it doesn’t matter why it is so anymore. “I haven’t done anything to your parents, though. That was not me. And Izumi … you don’t understand. She always said mean things about Sasuke. I couldn’t ignore that, either. She kept forcing herself on me. What was I supposed to do?”

“I get it. I get it but that doesn’t change the fact that my life was ruined, either.”

“But you can’t hold that against me, Sakura!” he says desperately. “I had nothing to do with it!”

“I know that!” she says just as desperately, if not more. “I know that it’s unfair to you.”

“Then WHY?” he roars, and in the back of his mind, he notes that this is the first time he’s ever yelled in his life with such explosive anger. “WHY WOULD YOU DO IT?”

“MY PARENTS DIED, ITACHI!” she screams back. “They died! Because of some stupid political pettiness, they lost their lives _in prison_! What do you expect me to do? Fuck you every night knowing that your world is the same as the ones’ who killed them? That some other Uchiha Itachi got mad and I paid for it?”

He marches to her on weak legs, feeling overwhelming emotions that he doesn’t bother to categorize. “Sakura, please,” he begs. “I’ll get Izumi back, if you want. I’ll apologise to her. I’ll tell everyone that she was right. But please, please don’t leave.”

“What’s going on?” Sasuke calls out loudly.

Itachi and Sakura both whip around. They hadn’t noticed but the entire group is watching them now. Naruto is holding back Sasuke by his elbow. Hinata and Suigetsu are staring with shocked faces, while Karin and Samui are standing awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Konan is looking at Itachi pitifully, and Hidan is heavily frowning, body tense as if he intends to step in if Itachi lays a finger on Sakura.

“ _What’s going on?_ ” Sasuke repeats forcefully.

“She’s leaving,” Itachi says emptily. “Sakura. She’s leaving. She doesn’t want to be with someone like me.”

“Itachi-!” Sakura protests but he ignores it.

“Turns out, Sasuke,” he faces his brother, his brother who looks like him but they’re nothing alike. “Izumi fucked up my life even after leaving. She told me that I’ll pay for it, and she was right. Can you believe it? Izumi was right.”

“Itachi,” Sakura repeats, taking a few steps towards him with her hand extended. “She wasn’t. She isn’t right.”

“Then _stay_ ,” he implores, grabbing her offered hand. He intertwines their fingers together. “Stay, Sakura. I’ll prove that I’m nothing like those people.”

She smiles sadly. “Don’t look for me.”

“No,” he says stubbornly. “I’m not promising you that.”

She wraps her hands around his waist, Itachi holds back tightly, and she mutters in his chest. “Ask me what I want.”

“No.”

“Ask me,” she places a kiss on his collarbone. “Please.”

Itachi swallows and his heart is pounding so hard, he thinks it’s going to stop. “What do you want, Sakura?”

She kisses him on the lips and brings their foreheads together, and whispers brokenly, “Don’t look for me.”

The world around them is quiet, still, waiting with bated breath, until Itachi exhales out, “Okay.”

He doesn’t bother hiding his tears. This is Sakura, he reminds himself. This is Sakura and she wants him to not look for her, and of course, _of course_ he will comply, because who is he to deny her of anything?

**End of Part I**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S.: Please note that this is NOT the end of the story. Part II will continue in this story page itself. Stay tuned!
> 
> UPDATE CYCLE IS NOW 24 HOURS!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interlude I

Naruto tops the year, and becomes the valedictorian for their graduation ceremony.

“Hi,” he laughs nervously in the mike. “This is slightly surreal, to be honest. I didn’t think I’d be the one summoning up the high school experience for us all. Because that’s the thing, isn’t it? I’m only one person – one student, and what the hell do I know?”

The crowd laughs softly.

“So I’ll talk about my personal experience,” he continues, “and you guys are free to take whatever you want from it. Okay? Let’s do this.” He pauses to breathe in and exhale slowly. “When I first entered high school, I came on a scholarship. My parents own a bookstore – look, there they are, waving enthusiastically. Hey, mom and dad!” He grins. “Firstly, I have to say, I received a massive cultural shock in my first week. I’d never seen so much money on one student before in my life. Everywhere I turned, it was all designer brands and expensive cars and fancy drivers. Even the food, for god’s sake! And then I learned that this was nothing new for them. It was their normal. I was the abnormal one – so to speak.

“Then I met Uchiha Sasuke, and oh my god, he was one of the most annoying people I’d met in my life. You know whom I’m talking about, right? The pretty boy who can flatten you single-handedly, all the while painting a _Mona Lisa_ with the other.”

The crowd laughs again.

“Yes, the very same. We became friends way too late in my high school, but that’s beside the point. When we did, though, I was introduced to his life – his brother, his friends, his way of living. Being with them made me realise this one thing. You want to know what it is? I’ll tell you.

“Each and every single person sitting here today is the same freaking person – with the same problems, same complaints, same battles in life. Yes, I did not have the same kind of money that they did. But the thing is, they had the same insecurities. The same emotions. The same heartbreaks. The same drive to prove themselves. That’s the beauty of growing up, I feel. It’s the same pattern for everyone, regardless of our backgrounds.”

He takes a pause.

“I feel honoured to be standing here today, not because the school chose me. Not because of my grades. But I’m here today because I went through that cultural shock, because I struggled to adjust. It gave me the perspective that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Because this might have been their normal – it wasn’t mine, and it makes me feel so damn special. So yes, I can’t tell you how to live your life, or what the real world is like – because what the hell do I know? What I can assure you of is this: wherever you go, whomever you end up with, know that they’re the same as you. And you just might get through the day.”

* * *

Yahiko’s parents gift him an apartment in Vegas, and the entire group flies to the city to celebrate their graduation. Jiraiya sponsors Naruto’s trip as his personal brand of present. The moment they step inside the house, Kisame declares that no one will stay sober throughout the trip.

Itachi doesn’t mind. He hooks-up with a woman called Tayuya, whom he meets at the gambling club. She’s wearing a long red dress with a deep V cut on the front, and calls him pretty.

* * *

When they’re lounging on the large balcony one night, Nagato opens the topic of their plans.

Itachi and Sasuke have already been accepted in Otsutsuki International University in Konoha itself, for Bachelor of Business Management degree. It’s one of the best campus in the country, and nothing like Konoha International School. It’s not made for _wealthy_ kids, but _competent students_. The competition is on a completely different level this time around.

Naruto got into Kiri University for his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations on another scholarship. “I want to get into policy making at the UN. It’s a long freaking road, though. One upside to Kiri is that I at least know some of the students there.”

“Who?” Sasuke inquires.

“You remember Fuu?” Naruto says. “Yugito, Bee, Han, Roushi, and Yagura? We met them during that trip to the mountains. I’ve been in touch with them ever since. They’ve already made my itinerary!” he laughs. “It would suck not to have you there, though. Teme, you _have_ to stay in touch. No excuses!”

Sasuke smirks and smiles at the same time. “Obviously, dobe.”

Hinata will be joining Neji in Iwa, for her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. “I think I’ll leave the operations to Neji. He’s better at it than I am, anyway. I’ll stick to Marketing. Besides, it’s what I’m interested in the most. It will be hard to convince our parents, but Neji has promised his support.”

Nagato and Zetsu will be attending college in Otogakure, with Nagato pursuing a degree in Psychiatry and Zetsu in Philosophy.

Same as Itachi and Sasuke, Kisame will be doing his Business major, although in a different college than theirs, but in the same city.

Suigetsu is joining Hinata in Iwa, _just for the hell of it._ Now, he elaborates. “My parents want me to take over the company at some point, but I’m not too sure I want that. Staying away from them might put things in perspective for me. Let’s see.”

“Are you having a moral crisis, Hozuki?” Kisame teases.

“Actually, yes,” Suigetsu frowns. “I don’t think I’m comfortable with manufacturing weapons that commit genocide in another part of the world.”

“Hear, hear!” Naruto raises his glass in a toast. “To actual peace. You might come in handy someday, Suigetsu. Don’t lose touch.”

“Am I only a commodity to you, Kitsune?” Suigetsu says with mock hurt, placing his palm over his heart. “Have you already forgotten our adventures in the closed rooms of the resort, surrounded by the mystical mountains?”

Naruto laughs. “Of course, not. I will forever cherish those moments,” he says with a wink.

Yahiko and Konan will be attending college in Ame, with Yahiko pursing a Product Design degree, and Konan pursuing a degree in Finance.

Before they depart, they promise to stay in touch, despite the distance, despite the new beginning of their lives, despite the fact that they’ll be “adults” now, and adults cannot take random road trips to the mountains, or Mauritian beaches, or South African safaris just because they feel like it. They’ll have responsibilities, and the pressure of being a future Heir to their family businesses – except Naruto, who, ironically, is shooting for the highest star amongst them – and they cannot afford losing sight of their goal.

* * *

Itachi meets Nara Shikamaru on the second day of his college classes. He’s a Business major, just like Itachi, and has a high school sweetheart called Temari, who has been accepted in a different college in the same city.

“She’s a Fine Arts major,” Shikamaru says. “Theatre.”

Temari is a blonde, green-eyed beauty. Itachi asks her about her favourite dramas, artists, genre – and she laughs, countering him with her own rapid-fire questions. He tells her that he’s competing in the upcoming Youth America Grand Prix for male ballet, and Temari offers to help with practice sessions in her free time.

So Itachi finds himself trying to balance his college classes, the gruelling sessions by Utakata, and theatre lessons by Temari. If he’d thought his high school schedule was nearly unmanageable, he is proven brutally wrong by the end of two weeks.

* * *

Temari doesn’t bother explaining ballet to him, because that he knows. Ballet – he understands. However, Temari takes him through different theatrical scenes and guides him on expressions, body language, emotions, the tiny movement of the eyes from right to the left, the placement of his chin. They stick to dramas, and dramas alone, until one day, after practice, they’re lying down flat on their backs on the wooden floor, panting.

“Damn,” Temari laughs breathlessly. “Never thought ballet takes such an enormous effort.”

“This is just your first time,” Itachi tells her. “It gets better.”

“Of course, _you_ ’d say that. You’ve been dancing your whole life.”

“Theatre is hard work, too,” Itachi reminds her. “All those dialogues. The monologues. Breaking out in songs. I don’t think I could ever speak so much in one go.”

“It gets better,” she says in an amused voice.

They stare at the ceiling, evening out their breaths.

“I don’t mean to kill the mood,” Temari says. “But I saw your ex-girlfriend’s video.”

Itachi’s teeth clench. He doesn’t respond.

“You don’t seem very misogynist to me.”

Silence.

“I see it’s not a topic you love to discuss.”

* * *

Sasuke spawns his own social circle once more – this time of three boys and one dog.

Itachi looks around their new “mixed gang” with a sense of loss and cautious relief. Temari is sitting on Shikamaru’s lap, laughing at something Kiba is saying. Chouji is engrossed in his cookbook on the other side, and Shino is trying to tame Kiba’s large, snow white, blue-eyed Siberian husky named Akamaru.

They’re nothing like Itachi and Sasuke’s high school friends. Shino is typically aloof, but has a sharp tongue that puts an obnoxious Kiba in his place in two seconds flat. Chouji, on the other hand, is severely unidirectional and doesn’t really bother himself with topics or activities that are not food related. Shikamaru and Temari are one unit, and Itachi has never seen a couple as healthy and _fun_ as them. Shikamaru has a dry sense of humour that Temari seems to love, and Temari’s liveliness motivates Shikamaru to _do_ things.

Despite the novelty, Itachi finds himself relaxing in their company quicker than he would have thought.

Itachi and Sasuke have decided to share a dorm room in college, primarily to get away from their parents. Which is why Fugaku is genuinely surprised to see them wandering through the front door one day with their new friends, and Sasuke calls for the cook, saying, _Meet Chouji._

* * *

And then Akamaru dirties their swimming pool one Sunday, when Fugaku informs them that he’ll be out for another trip with Mikoto.

Sasuke turns his phone so that Naruto, Suigetsu, and Hinata can see what the whole ruckus is about, and Itachi is telling one of the helpers to clean it up, Kiba is apologizing profusely, Shino is chilling on the pool chair with sunglasses on, and Chouji is laughing his ass off. Shikamaru and Temari are making out on another pool chair, indifferent to the world around them.

* * *

Itachi is at Kamui with Shikamaru and Temari. It’s late into the night, and he’s drunk and dancing, and Temari nudges his elbow at one point when a girl is staring at him with obvious intent.

So Itachi throws her a seductive smile, and later, he sneaks into his house, to his bedroom, and she’s in the middle of appreciating his vinyl collection but that’s not important, is it, he wants to say, but instead pushes her on the bed, stripping off his shirt.

The next morning, Fugaku catches them sneaking back out, and offers tea.

* * *

Turns out, Shikamaru is smart. As in, _smart_ smart.

Itachi learns it when he foolishly challenges the man to a round of chess one evening, when they’re lounging in the dorm room, and Shikamaru raises one cool eyebrow before obliterating Itachi’s game plan in under ten minutes.

Sasuke clicks a photo of Itachi’s dumbfounded expression gleefully. A few minutes later, Itachi’s phone beeps. It’s a message from Naruto.

**Cat got your tongue, Uchiha?**

* * *

Itachi and Sasuke fly to Norway for Konan and Yahiko’s wedding. The ceremony is held on a cliff that overlooks iced water below and snow-capped mountains in the background.

“Can’t believe her parents actually went through with it,” Naruto says as they’re each holding a glass of gin and tonic in their hands, watching Konan and Yahiko have their first dance as the wedded couple.

“At least it’s Yahiko,” Sasuke says.

“I wasn’t aware that they were dating,” Naruto chuckles. “The invitation honestly came as a surprise to me.”

“They weren’t,” Nagato tells him. “It’s an arranged marriage.”

“Shit. Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“So what now? They’ll just pretend to be a couple?” Naruto frowns.

No one knows the answer, so they watch the dance floor a bit more in silence. Sasuke soon directs the conversation to their college lives. Even though it’s only their first year, everyone has plenty to share.

A woman approaches Itachi after dinner. Her name is Tsunami. She asks him for a walk around the venue, and Itachi agrees. Tsunami is thirty years old, widowed, has a son, and is a family friend of Yahiko’s parents. Itachi tells her that he doesn’t care about any of that.

Kakashi stands with his back to the car, a little ways down.

Itachi slides off the straps of her dress down her shoulders. She hitches up the hem, and sits on his lap.

“God, you’re sexy,” she moans, as she rides him. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Pity. You shouldn’t let this body go to waste.”

He doesn’t respond. Digs his hands in her full hips, almost painfully, and she quickens the pace.

* * *

When Samui visits him at the dorm, she rages over her married boyfriend. She says that he’s an asshole, a complete jerk, who was only looking for young meat. She bemoans about her parents being right all along, and _what the fuck am I supposed to do now?_

They end up with Itachi bending her over his desk, and bunching her blonde hair in his fingers.

* * *

“Can you calm down with your fuck fests?” Sasuke says one day in November, as they prepare dinner in the kitchenette of their dorm room. Chouji has taken it upon himself to teach the two at least _some basics_ in cooking, horrified that they had never bothered to learn it from their house chef. Not that they’ve been using this newfound skill all that much.

“Samui is my girlfriend, Sasuke,” Itachi says. “Of course she’s going to be over a lot.”

Sasuke doesn’t budge. “Girlfriend? You both only hook-up whenever she’s here. I’ve never seen you go out for dinners, or even watch a movie together.”

“Fine. I’ll make plans.”

“Itachi,” Sasuke says impatiently. “Don’t do it just because I’m saying it! Don’t you _want_ to go out for dinners with her?”

Itachi grabs two plates from the cupboard. “Sure, I do. She’s an interesting person.”

Sasuke stares at him, holds his gaze. “Yes, she is,” he says. “Give her a chance.”

Itachi looks away.

* * *

Itachi is trying not to sigh.

His laptop screen is divided in parts, and his friends are staring back at him angrily.

“How the fuck did that even happen?” Nagato is cursing. “He didn’t even say anything to us! And now, all of a sudden, Izumi and he are what? Best buddies?”

“I know, right?” Yahiko says heatedly. “I distinctly remember him calling her psycho when we were in school.”

“Guys –” Zetsu tries to interfere.

“What are you going to do, Itachi?” Konan cuts in.

They’ve been speaking the same things in a loop for almost half an hour now, he wants to point out.

“I don’t care,” he tells them. “She’s out of my life. Kisame is free to do whatever the fuck he wants.”

* * *

Itachi’s hands are buried in Akamaru’s white fur, as he sits on the floor of Kiba’s dorm room early December.

Shino joins him when Kiba’s voice becomes too shrill to endure. The man has been arguing with Sasuke over some trivial things for the past _hour_.

Chouji stands vigil with them after another half an hour passes.

“Why don’t they just date?” Shino muses lowly at one point. “Kiba is no longer dating that chick.”

* * *

It’s Christmas when Itachi and Sasuke return home for the holidays. Mikoto is happy to see Samui holding his hand, and she asks Sasuke, “When will you get a girlfriend of your own?”

And Sasuke doesn’t care that they’re sitting at a long table, with at least twenty-five other guests. He doesn’t care that he’s supposed to be there to support the underprivileged _as part of the Uchiha family_. He doesn’t care that being an Uchiha means to uphold certain values, certain rules, because he glares at Mikoto, and says in a clear, carrying voice, “Mom, you are perfectly aware that I’m gay.”

A silence falls over the table. Mikoto’s face whitens with barely restrained fury. “Sasuke, let’s not –”

“Discuss it right now?” he cuts in. “Yeah, thought so. When shall we discuss it?”

“Sasuke,” she rebukes. “We have company.”

“I’m aware,” he says flatly. “Is that why you thought you could pressure me with a girlfriend? Did you think that I’d keep quiet and go along with your crazy plans?”

“I’m your mother,” she hisses. “You will treat me with respect.”

“I’m your son,” he snarls back. “ _You_ will treat me with respect.”

“This is not the time,” Fugaku interrupts harshly. “Sasuke, calm down.”

“When is the time?” Itachi wonders aloud, and Sasuke quickly shoots him a look of _don’t get pissed off_. Itachi ignores it. “Dad, it will be very helpful to have an appointment. You see, Sasuke and I seem to keep missing the allotted slot.”

“Itachi,” Mikoto barks. “Stay out of this. This is not about you.”

“It’s not about you, either,” Itachi points out. “This is Sasuke’s life, not yours.”

Samui is clutching his hand tightly under the surface of the table.

“What has gotten into you two?” Fugaku says dubiously. “Has the college life made you forget manners? You’re not high school kids anymore. You’re adults. Behave like adults.”

“You mean, like you?” Sasuke says loudly. “No, thank you.”

“Sasuke, that’s _enough_ ,” Mikoto raises her voice. The guests squirm in their seats. “We’re here to help the underprivileged, not listen to your woes.”

“Tell me,” Itachi says dangerously and his parents flinch at the tone, “how the fuck is this helping the underprivileged? You’re sitting there holding a spoon that costs hundreds, and _you_ know what those people are going through?” He laughs, unrestrained and coldly. “Give me a fucking break!”

“Fugaku,” Mikoto turns to her husband. “Are you going to let them talk like this? In company?”

Fugaku is about to open his mouth, but Sasuke beats him to it. “Why, mom? You didn’t hesitate in asking your gay son about a goddamn girlfriend! Are _you_ going to speak this way in company? Everyone knows that I’m gay! And no one gives a shit, apart from you! And I don’t even know why!”

“Both of you,” Mikoto snaps. “Out. Now. You’ve forgotten your place, it seems. You’re kids. What do you know about the real world?”

Itachi lets out another bark of laughter, and he’s unsure of whether it’s sarcastic or not. Maybe both. He wants to point out that not a minute ago, her husband reprimanded them for _not_ acting like adults.

“You want to talk about the real world? You – you, who have kitty parties with the other women? With your gambling and diamond rings and Gucci purses? Have you ever even been to an orphanage? Or a trailer park? Have you ever seen how the homeless kids live? Because I have! And let me tell you, the real world that you speak of is nothing – _nothing_ like the one they go through! That she went through! It’s because of you two – you, who convinced me that power, and status, and money is everything, and I went along with it! I drowned in the feeling it gave me! And now-! Now, SHE’S GONE! AND WHO THE FUCK DO I BLAME? YOU WANT TO TELL SASUKE ABOUT THE REAL WORLD? Newsflash, _oh dear parents_ , THEY LOVE SASUKE MORE THAN YOU EVER DID! The underprivileged that you fucking pity have bigger hearts than _you ever did_! Sasuke is the best person in the world, and you always, ALWAYS MAKE HIM FEEL WORTHLESS JUST BECAUSE HE’S GAY AND I’M DONE LETTING THAT SHIT GO! When you get a chance, pay a visit to Naruto’s house! At least, Minato and Kushina know how the fuck to be decent parents!”

Sasuke is clutching at his other hand, because Itachi doesn’t like to get angry. If he gets angry, he does stupid things – things that come and bite him in the ass later. But this is _Sasuke_ , and maybe some bites are worth it.

Mikoto is glaring at them. “You mean that girl you used to fool around with?”

Itachi stops breathing.

“We’re your parents. Did you honestly think that you were smart enough to get away with it? The way you used to sneak out at nights, skipping dinners, being tired throughout the day. Kakashi must have slept in the car more than his own house!”

“What? How did you-?”

Mikoto tsks with irritation. “It’s good that she’s gone. Samui is a wonderful girl for you. She’ll remind you what it means to be an Uchiha, if nothing else. You got carried away like a stupid child chasing after a forbidden candy, but that’s over now. Always remember your name, Itachi. It doesn’t suit us to be interacting with the likes of them. It’s time to grow up. Both of you!”

Itachi thinks that he might faint. “Did you send her away?” he chokes out. “DID YOU SEND HER AWAY?”

“No,” Fugaku cuts in sharply. “But it’s a good thing, son. It’s good that she left on her own accord.”

“How-! How the FUCK IS THAT GOOD?” He scrambles to his feet, and Samui’s hand slips from his. “I can’t stay here. I just. I can’t. Sasuke, let’s go. They’re never going to learn. They’re never going to accept you. They’re content in their caviars and their champagne.”

“Itachi!” Mikoto snaps.

“You want us to grow up?” he sneers with such venom that Mikoto shuts up. “What the _fuck_ does that even mean?”

Silence.

Sasuke stands up, too, and Samui joins them. Karin hesitates slightly, but then she’s placing the fork and the spoon back on the table. They watch as Suigetsu, Hinata, Konan, Yahiko, Nagato, and Zetsu slowly rise up, ignoring their parents’ protests. Kisame remains seated. And Itachi knows, he _knows_ that it’s over between them.

Naruto’s face flashes in his mind, and he’s mentally cursing the blonde for his passionate speeches on every goddamn thing in the world, and they’re almost at the door of the ballroom when Dr. Orochimaru stops them.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Dr. Orochimaru says and leans forward to whisper in his ear. “No one is a grown-up, Itachi. No one ever was. If you want to get through this phase in one piece, remember this at all times.”

He pulls back and Itachi looks, really _looks_ at this man, in his Hawaiian shirt and cargo pants, his black hair and colourful beads, smiling conspiratorially as though Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, ADHD, Learning Disabilities – none of it, _none_ of it ever fazes him; because he is a child at heart, trying to explain to Itachi that _whoever said being a child is a bad thing? Whoever said that adulthood is the next step of being a teenager, when the two are not interrelated, but exist simultaneously?_

Itachi doesn’t want to, he honestly doesn’t – it’s been _one whole year_ , but Sakura comes to mind unbridled. The girl who wanted to know how Elsa deals with being the reinstated Queen, the girl who walked a reindeer, the girl who wore a banana costume to distribute flyers. The same girl who worked hard to earn money to survive, to put food on her table, to buy Sasori his cherished pair of sunglasses. The same girl who undressed with no disposition and challenged Itachi defiantly with eyes that are melting trees in burning snow. Sakura was the girl who was forced to grow up, but no one was ever a grown up. She was simply a girl who captured his attention, enchanted him with her wild stories, and sang in her broken notes.

And Itachi feels it. He feels it thrumming under his skin, the same nervous energy coursing through him whenever he would look at Sakura and finally realises what it is. It’s the battle that Hashirama told him about. The battle that is not to be won, but to be fought, every day, until it becomes a part of you. The battle that Sakura fought. The battle that he now has to fight.

* * *

Fugaku visits them both at the dorm. Itachi and Sasuke stand side-by-side, shoulders tense and jaws clenched.

“I come in peace,” Fugaku raises his hands in defence and chuckles. It falls flat. “Okay, listen, you boys,” he sighs. “Your mother … she means well.”

“Yeah, right,” Sasuke scoffs.

“Alright, let’s keep her aside for now. I’ll speak for myself. Itachi … that girl you were fooling around with – she was never right for you. Tell me, how could she have possibly understood our way of living? You can get anyone in life, son. Look at Samui. She comes from our culture, our lifestyle. She has the capacity to understand your needs because hers are the same. But that girl that you seem unable to forget about – I get it. She was new, and you got carried away. It had to end someday, though. You were always meant to return to the real world. Our world. You’ll take over the company soon, and you’ll barely have the time for such nonsense. Focus on the future. That’s where you belong.”

“Is that all?” Itachi asks with deceptive calm.

“Yes,” Fugaku replies. “Sasuke, as for you … I know that we have never discussed your choice-”

“It’s not a _choice_ ,” Sasuke snaps.

“Alright, fine,” Fugaku backpedals. “My apology. Sasuke, I never truly had a problem with you being gay.”

“Then why did you keep quiet?” Sasuke asks incredulously. “Why didn’t you ever say anything to mom?”

“She has the right to have her own opinions, her own beliefs.”

Itachi laughs without humour, and Sasuke groans.

“You’re such a hypocrite, Dad,” Itachi says.

“No, listen,” Fugaku insists. “I’m not saying that it makes everything alright. Your mother is never going to accept you, Sasuke. Talking to her was like pouring fuel over fire. I didn’t see the point of it. But yes, I apologise for never approaching you on my own. I should have comforted you. I should have openly accepted you. I admit my mistake. I came here today to tell you this. Don’t hold back, son. Date any young man you want to.”

Sasuke is staring at Fugaku. Eventually, he gives a short jerky nod.

Itachi doesn’t accept it easily, though. “You’re still a hypocrite, Dad. You’re ready to accept that Sasuke is gay but you put limitations on me for my choices in women?”

“Itachi, did you really believe that the girl liked you?” Fugaku says impatiently. “You gave her a job! She felt obligated to you, and nothing else. You’re a fool if you think there was more to it than that.”

“You don’t know that!” Itachi says angrily, suddenly choking up. “You don’t know her!”

Fugaku gives him a cold stare. “Haruno Sakura, seventeen years old, grew up in the Geroa trailer park. Her parents were killed in prison when they were taken in for unlawful possession of two military rifles. The entire Geroa trailer park was disrupted by the orders of Shimura Danzo, a powerful builder who wanted that piece of land for his suburban project. The Harunos were refusing to do so, and the others followed their example. When the rival gangs approached Danzo, he decided to use the opportunity for his own benefit, making the six children homeless and without parents.”

Itachi’s heart hammers inside his chest.

“And before you ask, no, I had nothing to do with it. This is the information that I dug up when I heard that you asked Obito to give that girl a job. I do know her, Itachi. I know her type. You’re an Uchiha. All she wanted was your influence. They’re leeches, and you were more than a willing participant. She took advantage of your kindness, and that’s it. That was all there was to it. I suggest that you forget her as soon as possible, and get on with your life. That’s the best thing to do now. She left. She’s gone.”

* * *

Later that night, Sasuke creeps to his bed and sits on the edge of the blanket. “Do you believe him?” he asks in the quiet.

“Which part?”

“That she took advantage of you?”

“No, I do not.”

“That she’s gone?”

A few beats of silence.

“Yes.”

* * *

Temari doesn’t shy away from him, but holds his gaze, and Itachi stares back, absently noting that the green of her eyes is wrong.

“You really won’t be looking for her?”

“I promised.”

“You’re dating Samui now.”

“I am.”

Temari hugs him, and Itachi’s hands are trembling slightly as he returns it, and Shikamaru claps him on the shoulder, promising in an uncharacteristically strained voice, _You’ll be okay._

* * *

He shuts his eyes and takes a steadying breath.

The spotlight on his body feels warm and cold at the same time. He’s glad that he can’t see the audience, though. This is not Itachi’s first competition performance, of course, but this is the YAGP finale and that’s a big deal. He can’t afford to get distracted.

A second later, the opening notes for _The Night We Met_ by Lord Huron begins to play and Itachi thinks of mud and stones, of open skies, of space flooded with bright white. He thinks of the girl sitting on the bumper of his car, playing a song on his phone. He thinks of the girl who bandages his feet, saying, _Never stop dancing_. And, really, who is he to deny her of anything?

All that exists is the calmness inside his mind. The calmness that is filled with her voice, her freckled cheeks, miles and miles of pale skin, of _did you miss me?_ , of _Let the storm rage on._

Itachi allows his mind to wander freely, as his hands and feet move in time with the music, almost as a reflex, almost as if his every breath is made for _this_ , this very moment, where nothing matters but melting trees in burning snow, nothing but the love that exists even before the person himself existed. And so he thinks of _Pretty Boy_ and _Your Majesty,_ of _Pinocchio_ , and of Beauty and the Beast. He thinks of Harry Potter, and of Severus Snape clutching Lily’s dead body, and of trailer parks that he’s never been to but where Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, Mei, and Karui grew up in.

When the music stops, Itachi is on the floor, head bowed, breathing rapidly, his tears mixing with the trail of blood on the wooden floor.

This is not wooden floor, he thinks, but mud and stones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do check out - The Night We Met by Lord Huron.
> 
> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS!  
> (I don't know how to edit the stupid 48 hours thingy below this)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interlude II

Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Itachi join Tsukuyomi as interns.

If the _future_ is where Itachi belongs, he might as well begin the process of integrating it in his life. Besides, after their college graduation, Sasuke and Itachi will be joining the company on a full-time basis, and it would help their position if they have field experience before becoming employees. Not to mention, their status as Heirs will at least be justified, if nothing else. The Uchihas might be the cream layer of the society, but putting in efforts on fair grounds is a thing of personal pride.

The Tsukuyomi headquarters is an eleven-storied glass and steel building. Sasuke tells Shikamaru how the two brothers used to visit the place when they were little with wide eyes filled with wonder. The excitement waned over years and changed into smugness when they learned that being an Uchiha is a privilege in this country, and soon, the entire experience just turned into one where Fugaku would show them off proudly during their office gatherings.

On their second day of internship, as Itachi is perched on Sasuke's desk discussing over a document that they're asked to work on, Sasuke is approached by one of the employees – a mousy little young woman named Emina. She asks if Sasuke would like a cup of coffee, and he points out that the coffee machine is _right there_ , and he is perfectly capable of having one if he wishes so. Emina flushes a deep red, muttering how she was only trying to be friendly.

"I'm gay," he tells her flatly. "And if you could please focus on your job rather than the President's son, maybe the company would expand beyond the national border."

When she leaves – never to be seen again by them, for that matter – Itachi tells him that he didn't have to be so harsh.

"Itachi, I'm not here for some office romance," Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I'm all up for socialising, but hitting on me in the middle of the day, when I'm clearly working?"

Itachi smirks with amusement. "Is that the real problem? Are you sure this has nothing to do with a certain someone in Kiri?"

Naruto recently began dating a black-haired guitarist from his college, and Itachi had spent a good fifteen minutes laughing at Sasuke's unnatural, Frankenstein smile.

"No," Sasuke says stubbornly. "And focus. We need to finish this by two."

* * *

On another day, Shikamaru has his feet up on the desk, hands clasped behind his head, and he's staring in space.

"Dude," Sasuke says coming over to the man, and Itachi – having developed the habit by now – perches himself on the desk once more. "What are you doing?"

Shikamaru sighs. "Thinking about freedom."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, remarking how Itachi and Shikamaru need to take this internship more seriously.

* * *

One day, Fugaku calls Sasuke and Itachi in his office on the topmost floor.

As soon as they enter, they're greeted by their family lawyers and Board of Directors. Fugaku lets the lawyers explain the procedure of signing a bunch of documents –

"Now that you're both legally adults, according to Mr. President's directions, you will be stakeholders in this company. Since you two are the future Heirs, the division is such that next to Fugaku, you both will have the second-highest shares divided equally. However, there is a clause that states that until your college graduation, you will not be utilising your positional power."

* * *

Later that evening, Itachi and Sasuke throw a party on their yacht – the _Susano'o_ – and invite every person they've ever known in life. They're both dressed in matching steel blue suits and black shirts, instantly attracting the attention of both men and women alike.

Naruto can't make it, though, and Itachi finds Sasuke glued to his phone screen for half the night.

Samui looks gorgeous in a glittering black dress and red lips, her platinum blonde hair in a perfect hairdo.

* * *

A few days later, they sign the lease on a brand new apartment. It's large and spacious, two bedrooms, wide balconies, open kitchen plan, and a study room that they turn into a dance studio slash dojo. A grand piano takes up space in the corner of the living room area. Sasuke turns the last room into his personal art workshop.

During their house-warming party, Kiba finally hits on Sasuke.

"Why not?" Itachi smirks at him later that night, when everyone has left, and they're both sipping on Jägermeister in the balcony, replaying the experience. "He's not bad."

Sasuke stares out at the city. "Yeah," he concedes. "But he's not good enough."

Itachi's smirk slowly fades away. He had always teased Sasuke over Naruto, believing that his brother only needs a push to finally ask out the blonde – moreover, since Fugaku is ready to accept him. Watching him now, though, it is as if looking in the mirror – which is ridiculous, of course, because they're both _stuck between fraternal and identical twins_ , so it shouldn't be a surprise.

Except that it is.

* * *

Samui is looking at him strangely.

Itachi squirms slightly. "What?"

"You're going to stop playing the piano?" she repeats for clarification.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Itachi takes a sip of the wine. "I don't feel like it."

"Don't feel what?"

"Feel like playing it anymore."

"Is this because of what happened the other day?" Samui frowns. "Itachi, it was your twentieth birthday. Of course, everyone requested for a song."

"And I couldn't play."

"You were having an off day," she insists.

_You're not having an off day. You're having a life crisis._

"It's not that big of a deal," Itachi says. "Piano was never going to be my career. I always knew that."

"No, it wasn't," she concedes. "But you've been playing your entire life. This feels like a decision that shouldn't be taken simply because you …"

"Had a breakdown in front of all the guests?" Itachi supplies dryly.

It was a disaster. Everyone was at the apartment, and after the two brothers had cut the enormous cake, Itachi was asked to play a song on the piano. As soon as he sat down on the bench, he froze. He has no idea why, all he knows is that the black and white keys that were always so familiar, always so comforting, suddenly _weren't._ And the next thing he knew, he was on his feet, shaking and trembling. Sasuke had approached cautiously, extending one arm as if Itachi was a live wire soaked in water, and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. They simply stood there in the sudden silence of the room until Itachi felt it was safe to move his muscles.

Now as he sits across Samui at Kotoamatsukami, he thinks that it is for the best that he never be in such a position again in the first place.

"No one thinks any less of you now," Samui says consolingly.

"I know that," Itachi tells her. "I just don't feel like playing. There is no deeper meaning here. Don't read too much into it."

She sighs. "If you're sure."

He doesn't respond. They finish their dinner talking about their college, studies, exams, and Samui tells him that Karin is thinking of moving in with Suigetsu. Itachi tells her about his internship, how Temari's performances are receiving wide recognition, how Naruto is more and more on the social media for his debates despite being only a college student, and how Sasuke plans to visit him during their fall break.

"Are you going to accompany him?" she asks.

"I think so. It'll be nice to get out of the city."

Shisui comes to escort them out after Itachi pays for the meal. They wait on the curb for Kakashi to pull the car around.

"Are you going to come for Uncle Fugaku's birthday dinner?"

"I don't know yet."

"How long are you going to stay mad at Aunt Mikoto?"

Itachi shoots him a look. "She hurt Sasuke for years."

"You haven't returned after that Christmas dinner, Itachi," Shisui says seriously. "Not once."

"Mom hasn't made a single effort to apologize to Sasuke, either. Why should I let that go?"

Kakashi arrives with the car. Shisui gives him a short wave through the window, before turning to Itachi again. "You've missed too many events at the house. How long are you going to stay angry for? Think over it. It's fine if you want to avoid your mother right now. But what's next? Avoid her for the rest of your life? That's a little extreme."

"What's extreme is pestering Sasuke for a girlfriend knowing that he's gay," Itachi says stonily. "You don't need to advocate on her behalf. If she has something to say to me or Sasuke, she can do so directly."

"And will you be willing to listen?" Shisui raises his eyebrows coolly.

"I don't want to waste time into thinking of a situation that is never going to happen, Shisui. Mom is too proud to approach us."

Shisui laughs a little. "And so are you. Whether you like it or not, you acquired her pride."

Itachi doesn't respond to that. Instead, he bids him goodbye, and Samui follows quietly as he sits in the car, and tells Kakashi to play _Fur Elise_ already.

"Roger that, Sir."

Itachi drops off Samui at her apartment. When he reaches his own, he opens the door with his own set of keys. There is one lit spotlight in the foyer, but as he wanders further into the house, everything is dark and quiet.

"Sasuke?" he calls out in the silence. No reply.

Assuming he must have made plans with Kiba, Chouji, and Shino, Itachi enters his own bedroom. He kicks out his shoes, shrugs off his jacket, removes the blazer, and drops on his bed, rolling the sleeves of his shirt to the elbows. He scoots to the middle, his back against the headboard, and shuts his eyes for a few minutes.

"Lights."

The room floods bright white.

He groans. "Low lights."

The room bathes in a soft yellow.

"Alexa –"

A minute later, the opening music for _The Lion King_ breaks the stillness of the night, and Itachi grabs a pillow to his lap, watching attentively because –

_Simba was walking too slow, so I told him to Mufasa._

He laughs for five minutes straight.

* * *

The decision to attend his father's birthday dinner is purely out of spite. _I am not my mother_ , Itachi firmly tells himself as he dresses up for the occasion. Sasuke has refused the offer, though.

"I'll be seeing him at the office, anyway," he says, his eyes narrowed at the book in front of him. He's lounging on the couch for the evening, one hand absently buried in their cat's furry body. It's an orange tabby with blue eyes, and Sasuke has "jokingly" named him Kitsune.

Itachi fixes the tie on his collar, sighing. He can't blame Sasuke when he doesn't really want to go himself. All he wants to do is prove Shisui wrong.

Sasuke's phone starts to ring. He grabs it from the coffee table and immediately grins. Naruto's cheery face pops up on the screen.

"Hey, teme! Check out my new haircut! Got it done just now. How's it?"

Itachi picks up Kitsune and deposits him in his lap, and scoots closer to Sasuke to better look at the screen. Sasuke holds the phone so that Naruto can see Itachi, too.

"Looking nice, Uchiha," Naruto grins. "What's the occasion?"

Sasuke tsks. "I told you earlier, Dad's birthday dinner. And why did you cut so short? You look better with longer hair."

Naruto's easy smile is replaced with a heavy frown. "I don't see you dressed up, Sasuke," he says, completely ignoring his own purpose for the call.

"I'm not going."

"Why not?"

Sasuke gives him an incredulous look. "Why would I? Mom will be there."

"So what? You've avoided enough events because of her already."

"I don't want to listen to more homophobic comments, that's what," Sasuke snaps.

Naruto raises his eyebrows. "You don't have to."

Sasuke eyes narrow. "Are you high? Did Fuu accidentally put something in your morning coffee, again?"

Naruto isn't amused. "No, you bastard. This is your Dad's birthday. Don't let your anger at your Mom ruin his day. You missed the last one, too, if I remember correctly."

"What do you expect me to do?" Sasuke says. "Attend it knowing that I'll be subjected to harsh treatment?"

"You don't have to talk to her if you don't want to. How many people are gonna be at that thing? Just stick with someone else. Dude, your brother will be there."

Sasuke groans. "I'm still mad at her, though."

"Which is fine, because I'm too," Naruto says smoothly. "But this day isn't about you or her."

"I hate it when you're right," Sasuke grumbles.

Naruto beams. "I'm always right, teme!"

"Whatever," Sasuke sighs. "Here. Talk to him. I'll go shower."

Itachi dutifully takes the phone from his hand, still holding Kitsune in his lap. He tilts the camera a little so that Naruto can see the cat.

"Awwww, hello, my namesake!" Naruto coos. "How's teme treating you? You just tell me if he ignores you, 'kay? I'll beat him up!"

Itachi snorts. "As if. Sasuke seems to have taken the cat as an extended version of you. He's always showering him with an uncharacteristic amount of affection."

Naruto blushes up a storm, even as he tries to laugh it away. "Sasuke showing me affection? Now that's an unrealistic world! Besides, I'm dating, Uchiha. Have you forgotten that tiny detail?"

Itachi shakes his head dismissively. "And yet, you're always on phone with my brother more than your boyfriend, Namikaze."

"When will you stop trying to push us together?"

"Why would I?"

Naruto pretends to think. "Oh, I don't know? Because your brother isn't interested in me whatsoever?"

"Because you're dating some idiot in Kiri."

"Hey!" Naruto protests. "Juugo is not an idiot. He's a very collected person, and cares for me a lot."

Itachi sighs. "And my brother adopted a cat despite having sworn off of pets long ago, named it after you, and listens to everything you say as if you actually make sense. That's an incredible feat to pull."

Naruto's mouth gapes open a few times, unable to decide what to say. "Okay, first of all, Kitsune is just a way to mock me, we all know that. Second of all, I do make sense to a lot of people."

"You're way too stubborn for your own good."

"Look who's talking," Naruto quips instantly.

Itachi smirks. "I'm telling you, Namikaze. If you don't do something soon, my brother _will_ move on to someone else."

Naruto flushes again. "Why do I have to do anything? I'm already dating!"

"Fine, fine," Itachi lets it go for now. But he knows Naruto is right. For whatever reason, Sasuke has convinced himself that asking out Naruto when he is in Kiri isn't the best decision. _Long distance_ , he'd said to Itachi one fateful night when they'd both been drunk. Of course, he's not going to admit it to Naruto, though.

" _Anyway_ ," Naruto stresses with purpose. "How's Samui? Is she joining you tonight?"

"No. She has to study. And Sasuke is right. Short hair doesn't suit you. Oh, and I saw your recent video, by the way."

Naruto immediately grins again and begins regaling how he asked Jiraiya to set up a meeting with Tsunade one month ago. He did a small apprenticeship under her of three weeks, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things – except that Tsunade is an important member of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. To be interning under their banner is nothing less than admirable for a twenty-year-old college student.

Sasuke steps out of his bedroom wearing a black suit like Itachi, but with a jade green shirt underneath and black tie around the collar. He's grown out his hair recently – not as long as Itachi's – but long enough to tie it in a short pointy ponytail at the nape of his neck, and short fringes framing his face. He's also wearing the matching emerald studs in his ears that Itachi gifted him on their twentieth birthday.

His brother re-joins him on the couch.

"Wow," Naruto breathes suddenly, forgetting his earlier train of the conversation entirely. "Sasuke, you look great!"

Sasuke smirks. "Thanks."

Kitsune is trying to crawl into his lap. Sasuke picks him up and places him on the floor. "Go play with your string ball. We have to leave."

Kitsune doesn't leave. He stares at him with doleful eyes. Sasuke groans, picking him up again to deposit him in his miniature house.

"Okay, so I'm expecting you both soon!" Naruto says, reclaiming Itachi's attention. "And please, tell Kakashi and Kimimaro to wear something casual. Last time you guys visited, I had many students asking me why I'm suddenly roaming around with Men in Black guys around the campus."

Itachi tries to picture Kakashi in Dr. Orochimaru-style clothes and snorts. "I'll see."

"I'll ask Suigetsu and Hinata, too, in case they're free. Call Yahiko and Konan, will you? Oh, and Nagato! Man, I feel like we should just call everyone over."

"A high school reunion?" Sasuke questions, walking towards him sans Kitsune. "That's going to be awkward."

"It won't be," Naruto insists. "Let me ask them."

"As you wish," Itachi shrugs. "Here." He hands the phone back to Sasuke and gets up to drink some water.

It's not as though they haven't remained friends. But since Kisame blatantly refused to stand up for both Itachi and Sasuke during that Christmas dinner, no one has bothered speaking with him. Moreover, as per his social media feed, he's begun dating Izumi.

The others do still talk, but the conversations are stilted. Everyone is busy with their new lives, and the last time they'd all come together was many months prior. Only Naruto has been in constant touch with both Itachi and Sasuke. Yahiko and Konan are struggling with their married life since they aren't exactly _in love_ , but childhood friends and Nagato has visited the couple more often than not to act as a mediator. Zetsu left college a few months ago and is on the road, picking up his father's knack for all things monk. Hinata and Suigetsu are sharing an apartment in Iwa, and if Karin does move in with the man, Hinata will be in a tricky position. She seems to be pining after Hozuki and the man is either completely oblivious or cruel with his ignorance.

And it's not as though Itachi is dying to spend time with them. In fact, he has come to realise that, yes, they are his childhood friends, but they belong to a part of his life that he'd rather avoid reliving. Shikamaru, Samui, and Temari are the ones he prefers to focus on at the moment.

Sasuke ends the call with Naruto, sighs in preparation for the evening, and they leave the house after making sure Kitsune has his food and water.

* * *

Obito, Shisui, and Naori stay with the two as soon as Itachi and Sasuke enter the doors of their old house's ballroom. The place is decorated with balloons, streamers, flowers, fairy lights, and huge golden numbers 5 and 0, denoting Fugaku's golden jubilee celebration.

The cake has been cut already before they'd arrived, and now all that is left for them is to find their father alone for two minutes so that they can wish him. They get the chance to do so when Mikoto disappears somewhere as the round individual tables are being set with dinner utensils.

Fugaku arrives at the table that they are sharing with Obito, Shisui, and Naori.

"You came!" Fugaku smiles.

Sasuke and Itachi get to their feet to give him a hug each. "Congratulations, Dad. You survived 50 years."

Fugaku chuckles, but thanks them sincerely, anyway. Itachi begins to feel glad that they decided to come, despite the horrible memories that this place now holds, because Fugaku might have been distant during their teenage years, he has made it a point that the two brothers will not feel as alienated as they did before. Working together in the company has seemed to play a great role in this development. Moreover, after their spat, Itachi has tried his best to understand Fugaku's standpoint even if he doesn't agree with most of it.

Mostly, though, he just ignores it in favour of Sasuke receiving the acceptance that he was robbed off.

And it's not as though Sasuke suddenly began dating men right and left – and Itachi knows it's mostly due to Naruto – but he does engage himself in the occasional dates. Itachi has had the misfortune of walking in once on Sasuke and some blonde man dry humping on their couch, eating each other's mouths. Which was fine, he thinks, because Sasuke has had his share of witnessing Itachi in compromising positions with Samui once or twice.

Thrice.

Fugaku soon leaves to talk with more guests, and Sasuke and Itachi engage Naori in a "catching up" conversation. She is one of their distant cousins in her late thirties and is too busy for life. Not that they blame her, she _is_ the President of Izanami – another company under the Uchiha Corp. just like Tsukuyomi is; although, Izanami belongs to the transport industry.

"I'm going outside," Obito says after he's done. "This is getting a bit stuffy. If one more person comes to ask me whether I plan to get married or not, I'll hurl wine in their face."

"I'll join you," Shisui laughs. "Let's go for a swim."

Naori refuses, laughing that she has more people to attend to.

* * *

Itachi massages his neck languidly.

He's floating in the corner of the pool with a glass of gin and tonic. Sasuke and Shisui are taking lazy laps around the edge. Obito has dragged Kakashi from the outside, stating _your ward is swimming, so you need to be there, you useless piece of shit,_ and now they're both nearby, floating on their backs and speaking softly amongst themselves.

Itachi's phone beeps.

**How did it go?**

_Fine. In the pool now. Are you done with studying?_

**No. Just taking a break. I was thinking of coming over tomorrow.**

_Alright._

**Do you want to do something in particular?**

_I can think of a few things. ;)_

**Mind out of the gutter, sailor.**

_I'll have you squirming under me in no time. Wanna bet?_

* * *

Samui moans, fisting her hands in Itachi hair.

He continues to lick and suck, holding her thighs in place with his hands. He moves his right arm to crawl up her hip, her stomach, and palms her breast. Her breathing increases rapidly, and her fingers tighten, and she's coming undone within fifteen minutes of setting foot in their apartment.

"Told you," he smirks, kissing up her stomach until he reaches her chest. "Isn't this better than watching some movie?"

Samui yanks him up to kiss him on the lips. "You just wanted to avoid watching a documentary."

He laughs softly. "True that."

Samui is on her knees sometime later, and Itachi holds her head in place as he thrusts with force. She's bracing herself by clutching at his hips. His eyes are shut, head rolled back, breathing rapid, and when she traces her fingers down, across, and twists –

"Fuck," she groans, her legs on either side of his lap, and he's sucking on her neck, not hard enough to leave a mark because she hates that, but because he enjoys doing it, anyway.

When they're lying on his bed, side-by-side, Itachi faces her and watches as the full-body blush fades away slowly. She's staring at the ceiling, evening out her breaths.

* * *

Juugo is larger in person. Itachi has this crazy urge to ask Naruto who tops in bed, but holds his tongue because Naruto is hugging Sasuke with such enthusiasm that Juugo has no idea what to make of it. So he stares, and Itachi stares with him.

Naruto still stays at the dorm, and so they end up at the hotel room that the brothers are staying at for their little trip. Kakashi and Kimimaro – who are clad in their usual "Men in Black" attire much to Naruto's distaste – leave them alone, retreating to their own rooms. They order room service after Sasuke complains about not being in the mood to go out just yet.

Hinata, Suigetsu, and Karin arrive later in the evening. Then the room is too stuffy, and Naruto convinces Sasuke to at least get down to the lobby. But then he calls his Kiri friends – still loud and making a ruckus – and Itachi dials Kakashi's number.

"We have to go. Get Kimimaro, too."

Kakashi hangs up without a response.

They drive to the pier that Naruto insists upon, because Kiri is known for its oceans. The place is filled with pockets of people and Suigetsu manages to find one space large enough for them all. Itachi sits with Hinata and Kakashi. Naruto is fooling around with his Kiri friends – Bee, Fuu, Yagura, Yugito, Han, and Roushi. Sasuke is with Kimimaro, Suigetsu, Karin, and – somehow – Juugo.

"You're staring," Itachi tells Hinata at one point.

She startles slightly, her cheeks flooding red. "I wasn't," she denies weakly.

"What will you do if Karin moves in?" he asks her directly.

Hinata sighs and stares at her feet. "I don't know."

Neji is back in Konoha already and began his training in Byakugan. Hinata will probably have to get a place of her own, until she moves back after graduation to join the company, too. Which is fine. Finances are hardly a concern.

Itachi throws a quick glance at Suigetsu. He has Karin tucked under his arm, and they're listening to whatever Sasuke is saying attentively. Even Juugo. Naruto's focus is seemingly on Yagura, but Itachi catches him a few times looking over at his brother.

"I used to like Naruto, you know," Hinata suddenly admits.

Itachi doesn't know how to react. "What?"

Hinata shrugs self-consciously. "When he first came to our school, I had a crush on him. Of course, I didn't know that he was gay at that time. I used to watch him stand up to everyone, dusting his pants off as if none of it ever fazed him."

Itachi remembers those times. They feel like a million years ago.

"I never told anyone of it, though," Hinata continues. "I felt that I'd receive a lot of backlashes if it gets out that I liked this boy who'd come on a scholarship. He was the rut of the school. And I was the Hyuuga Princess." She snorts derisively at the nickname. "Back then, all those things mattered. We grew up pretty sheltered. And then Naruto arrived with his long speeches. Hearing him talk, I felt ashamed and … inspired? I think. Look at him now. He's outsmarted all us rich kids. He does have some controversial opinions, but he's garnering respect at the same time. I have no doubt that he's going to be very successful in his life.

"I think about that a lot. When we were in school, all those things that we thought mattered so much, don't really matter now, do they? It's as though someone dumped us in cold water, and we've woken up from a twisted, bizarre dream."

Itachi doesn't respond.

"Anyway," she chuckles, and the sound falls flat. "I think I never deserved Naruto. All I did was watch him from a distance, harbouring a secret crush, when he was pushed and troubled and he just became more and more determined to do that much better every single time. And that's the same thing I did with Su. I watched him grow in front of my eyes, from being proud of his family to outright refusing to commit indirect genocide. I've known Su my whole life, and it felt inevitable to fall for him after a point. I convinced myself that he'd return it, which sounds foolish now, because I never did anything about it. Two heartbreaks by twenty. I had not expected that."

Itachi wraps his arm around her shoulder, having no idea what to say. He remembers when Hinata was seen as this untouchable beauty in school, who could get anyone she wanted, but always stuck with Sasuke. He realises now that she wasn't sticking with Sasuke because Sasuke is gay, and would never be interested in her romantically, but because _Suigetsu_ is _not_ gay.

She's shaking slightly against his side, and he turns a little so that the others can't see her breaking down.

* * *

The next day, they're at the bowling alley, and Naruto is expectedly wiping the floor off of them.

"Can we play something else?" Sasuke snaps when his team is about to lose.

Naruto gets right in his face, grinning. "Absolutely not. I want to see your face when you lose."

Sasuke's lips thin with irritation. "I hate you and your Master-of-All ass."

"You know you love me," Naruto sings cheerily and then turns when Juugo calls him.

Itachi leaves at one point to go to the washroom. When he comes back out, Yugito is waiting by the doors.

"What's up?" Itachi asks her warily.

She shrugs casually. "Is anyone in there?"

"No."

She immediately pushes him inside and into one of the stalls. Itachi is too surprised by the unexpectedness of it to really do anything. When she locks the stall, though, he finally backs away in the tiny space.

"We can't. You know that I have a girlfriend."

Yugito doesn't move, though. She stares at him across that small distance, and he begins to squirm.

"What?"

"Are you committed to this girlfriend?"

And Itachi thinks of Samui and their relationship of almost two years. Samui is a very interesting person to be with, and she's proven time and time again that she's also strong, smart, funny, and a talented guitarist. Itachi has spent hours listening to her play the instrument. Despite their school band being disbanded, Samui pursued her interest with the same amount of passion. Itachi likes that, he likes that Samui is a constant, and that Samui doesn't mind that he dislikes documentaries, doesn't speak much, that he prefers to be quiet, and that he doesn't know how to play the piano anymore.

He licks his dry lips and gulps because his throat is suddenly dry, too.

* * *

It's their last year of college, and as _Closer_ by Chainsmokers drift through the car speakers, Itachi tells Kakashi –

"Teach me how to drive."

Kakashi lowers the sound.

"I don't need you following me around anymore," Itachi continues. "After I graduate, you are free to go."

"I'm on your dad's payroll," Kakashi says dryly. "This decision is not really up to you."

"I'll speak with him," Itachi insists. "Teach me how to drive first."

"You're sure about this?"

And Itachi knows, he _knows_ what Kakashi really means is, _Are you ready for this?_

He doesn't know the answer to that, so he doesn't respond. But Kakashi begins his teaching classes on the following weekends, anyway.

* * *

It's January.

Itachi is having dinner with Shikamaru and Temari at his place. Sasuke is out on a date. Kitsune is spread out flat on the floor by Itachi's feet like a fluffy rug. He's sulking currently because Itachi refused to scratch his belly earlier.

"Get over it," Itachi tells him.

Kitsune stares back with big blue eyes.

"That doesn't work on me," Itachi laughs. "Blue eyes are more of Sasuke's thing."

Temari picks him up, cooing. "Come here, you little furry baby."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes.

"Good luck for your future babies," Itachi tells him.

Temari scoffs. "I'd hate to see what you do."

"Who said I'll have kids?" Itachi counters.

"With the way you live," Shikamaru cuts in, "I'll be surprised if there _isn't_ one."

Temari cackles and Itachi tsks. "I'm very responsible." And before they can make more comments, he redirects the conversation. "Have you thought about what you'll do, Shika? After we graduate?"

"Not really," Shikamaru replies.

Shikamaru has already gotten an offer letter from Tsukuyomi for all his input in the company over their internship period. Itachi thinks that the man might probably end up accepting it by the time their final exams are due. Which is why he can't wait that long –

"I have a proposition for you," Itachi smirks.

* * *

Itachi and Sasuke graduate college with good grades, enough to make Fugaku proud. He throws a party for them on their yacht, the Susano'o.

Tonight, it's lit with hundreds of white and yellow lights, and a large number of guests are mingling, dancing, drinking on the deck under the stars, surrounded by the vastness of the ocean. Fugaku had told them that this is also their _Initiation Ceremony_ in the business world.

The brothers are dressed in black tuxedoes for the honour. They spend their night being introduced to _who's who_ of the business industry, and by the end of the night, Itachi's head is buzzing with countless names and companies that he intends to memorise –

And Shikamaru is doing the same on the other side.

* * *

When Fugaku visits them at the apartment to talk about their duties at the company as full-time employees, Itachi has made up his mind. Sasuke avoids looking at them. He has Kitsune on his lap.

"Dad, I want to sell all my shares to Sasuke."

There's a beat of silence.

Fugaku clears his throat. "I'm sorry?"

"I don't want to join the company. I want Sasuke to have all my shares."

"Itachi, what is this? You've already proven yourself as a competent employee. Both you and Sasuke are being trained for the position of future leaders of the company. You can't just _leave_."

"I'm serious, Dad," Itachi says, his heart hammering inside his chest. He's already spoken with Sasuke, and Sasuke only stared at him, saying _if you're sure_. Itachi doesn't know if he's sure, but he wants to do this.

If Itachi sells his inherited shares to Sasuke, then Sasuke will become the effective boss, being the highest stakeholder, surpassing even Fugaku. But that's not the main reason for this – this – whatever this is.

He just needs the money.

* * *

Samui's teeth are clenched, her fingers fisted around the fork.

"Excuse me?"

Itachi inhales. "I left the company."

"To start your own."

"Yes."

"With Shikamaru."

"Yes."

"Named –"

"Yes."

Samui shakes her head. "Why?"

Itachi remembers _don't look for me_. He remembers replying _okay_. He remembers a lot of things, actually. He remembers that he vowed to keep his promise, and he did. He _is_. He is not looking for her, not in the least. But Hinata was wrong. Itachi didn't wake up from a twisted, bizarre dream after their high school graduation. Itachi _fell_ into one.

It's time to wake-up.

If he can't look for her, and he won't, he _won't_ , because he promised, but she's out there somewhere, _somewhere_ and –

If he can't look for her, he sure as hell can at least make his presence known. He sure as hell can make some noise.

"I want to," he answers Samui.

She's getting to her feet, leaving her dinner half-finished. "I have to go. Itachi, you can't – you can't expect me to just go along with this."

"I'm not doing that," Itachi frowns, standing up, too.

They're at Kotoamatsukami for the evening.

"What do you want me to say then?" she counters, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Nothing," he insists. "You're my girlfriend, Samui. I'm only sharing my plans with you."

She laughs coldly. "Do you honestly think that I'll stay with you after this?"

"What?"

"Itachi, you can't be so thick!" her voice rises. The surrounding tables are looking at them now, and Itachi sees a few people trying to capture them in their phones from the corner of his eyes. "What you're planning – it's insane. I can't have a boyfriend who wants to scatter his high school affair's name across the country!"

Itachi ignores the stares as much as possible. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"Of course, I am!" her voice rises even further. "This is just too unhealthy. Itachi, it was an affair. An affair with the girl on the streets. That's it."

"You sound like my Dad," he says coldly.

"She could be dead," Samui states ruthlessly.

Itachi fists clench at his sides, and his shoulders tremble, rage thrumming under his skin. "She's not dead," he manages to say. "She's …" _Elsa. She'll ice you up in an instant._ "You don't know her. None of you do."

Samui doesn't like that. She grabs her purse and storms out of the place without a backward glance. Itachi calls for the bill, pays, and leaves, ignoring Shisui who's come to see what the disturbance has been about.

Itachi sits behind the wheel of his car and takes a steadying breath. This is not unhealthy, he tells himself. It's _not_. Unhealthy is what Izumi did. And Itachi is not doing what Izumi did.

Instead, he's trying to do what Sasuke asked him all those years ago. _Maybe this is something that we can't fix. We won't even know where to start._

Itachi has merely found that _start_.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand we're back on track, you guys. Interlude period is over.
> 
> Next chapter is the aftermath of this decision. Stay tuned!
> 
> The update cycle is 24 HOURS! :)


	13. Chapter 13

Sasuke fixes his tie for the hundredth time.

“Leave it be,” Itachi snaps. “Stop fidgeting.”

“I’m trying!”

Ameno approaches them, barking orders around. She’s wearing a pale pink business suit, and fixing the collar mike.

“Ready?” she asks them.

Itachi nods mutely, and Sasuke clears his throat. “Yes.”

Five minutes later, Ameno is smiling at the camera. “Good evening. Welcome to _Trinity Talk_. I’m Ameno, and today, we have the two Uchiha brothers in the studio with us who are currently shaking up the business world.” She turns to the brothers. “Welcome to the show, Mr. Uchiha Itachi and Mr. Uchiha Sasuke.”

“Thank you, Ameno,” Itachi smiles. “Great to be here. Although, let’s stick with Itachi and Sasuke? Mr. Uchiha is just too confusing at this point.”

“Absolutely, Itachi,” Ameno laughs softly, and faces the camera again. “For our viewers who are not aware, probably if you’re living under a rock for decades, the Uchiha name can be traced back through the business world – the most notable being Mr. Uchiha Indra, the Founder of Uchiha Corp.; Mr. Uchiha Madara, the most popular former President of Tsukuyomi; Mr. Uchiha Izuna, the second most popular former CEO of Tsukuyomi; Ms. Uchiha Naori, the current President of Izanami; Mr. Uchiha Fugaku, the present President of Tsukuyomi; Mr. Uchiha Obito, the owner of Top 9th trending nightclubs in the country called Kamui; Mr. Uchiha Shisui, the owner of Top 21st seven star restaurant on the globe presently called Kotoamatsukami; and with that, we arrive at Mr. Itachi and Mr. Sasuke. Wow,” she takes a pause and chuckles breathlessly. “That was some serious name-dropping.

“Mr. Sasuke is currently vying for the position of COO at Tsukuyomi, and Mr. Itachi is the Co-founder and CEO of Coco, official name being Coco Shelters. Let’s begin with Mr. Sasuke.”

She crosses her legs, faces Sasuke, and Sasuke tries for a smile.

“Sasuke, you graduated from Konoha International School, acquired a Business degree from Otsutsuki International University, and then joined your family organization Tsukuyomi _._ For our viewers who do not know, Sasuke is also a black-belt holder in karate, and has various art galleries around the country. He has launched many upcoming artists through his side venture called The Paintbrush _._ He has his own art displays, the latest being his series called _Kirin_ that attracted quite some popular faces from the industry. Maybe you could share the inspiration behind the artwork, Sasuke?”

Sasuke inhales slightly, and replies. “In mythology, Kirin is considered to appear during times of peace. It’s a highly revered creature, and is known to be one of the most powerful beasts to have ever existed. Of course, we’re a long way from peace, but we are getting there. I wanted to inspire hope in our public through the same.”

Ameno gives a serious nod. “I’m confident that you achieved it. I must ask – Kirin is typically considered to be a chimerical beast with a tail of an ox, holy fire as mane, and a peaceful face. In your artwork, Kirin is represented more as a dragon made of thunder. What was your thought behind it?”

And Sasuke smiles. “Nature fights back,” he says and leaves it at that.

Ameno is clearly confused, but doesn’t push. “From what we gather, you’re also currently training to be the next CEO of Tsukuyomi _._ Is that correct?”

Sasuke nods. “Yes. Of course, it’s a long way, and we have some great potential right now. My present focus is on achieving the COO title. The rest will have to wait.”

“Although, you’re technically the boss. How does that work?” Ameno asks bluntly.

“Technically, yes. Currently, the Board of Directors are in the position to take decisions, along with my father, the President. I believe I’m too young to be pulling weight.”

“That’s quite noble of you,” she says with amusement. “Which brings us to Mr. Itachi. Itachi, you’re the reason why Sasuke is the highest stakeholder at Tsukuyomi. You left the company when you graduated to begin your own venture.”

“To be honest, Ameno,” Itachi says. “I don’t think I was made for it. Sasuke is an excellent choice for the position, and he’s there right now because he deserves it.”

“Of course,” she backpedals instantly, not wanting to offend an Uchiha on national television. “As per our knowledge, you graduated from Konoha International School and acquired a Business degree from Otsutsuki International University like your brother. Also, for our viewers, allow me to inform you that Itachi is also the winner of YAGP 2019 for single male ballet. Do check out his mesmerizing performance on the Internet; I guarantee that you will not regret it. Itachi also performs in various theatrical adaptations regularly. Itachi – could you tell us what you’re working on at the moment?"

Itachi licks his lips. “Well, I’m afraid that I can’t disclose that yet. However, I urge everyone to stay tuned in, and I will surely announce the dates soon.”

“Absolutely, we will,” Ameno nods. “Moreover, Itachi has won various accolades in piano during his high school years. However, Itachi, you did not join Tsukuyomi and, instead, established Coco Shelters five years ago with Mr. Nara Shikamaru, the other Founder and the current COO of the organization, whom you befriended during college.”

“That’s right,” Itachi nods.

“Tell us a little about Coco Shelters.”

“Coco Shelters is primarily aimed to provide affordable lodging services. Our target audience is the population who cannot approach the larger establishments due to money constraints. Other than that, as one of the side-services, our company also acts as a bridge between the individuals who require assistance from various government bodies, but are unable to receive it. Shika and I began with buying out the existing establishments from around the city, before expanding further out. Now, Coco Shelters stands as a chain of budget hotels and motels throughout the whole country.”

“Could you elaborate on the side-service for our viewers?”

“Well,” Itachi replies thoughtfully. “Consider an example – a customer approaches us for lodging. Now, inherently the individual must be struggling with livelihood to be asking for hospitality in a budget hotel, correct? This is, of course, keeping aside the exceptions. If the individual requires, Coco Shelters will offer information on the relevant departments in the government – expand on the existing schemes for monetary aid, for instance. We’ve also tied up with various NGOs across the country to better reach out to the ones who cannot reach us.”

“Are there any plans to expand beyond the borders?”

“In time,” Itachi replies smoothly. “We’re already looking at prospective deals in the neighbouring countries.”

“I’m sure it must have come quite as a surprise to your friends and family, to break out from the traditional route,” Ameno says. “How did you make this decision, if I may ask?”

“It’s not that complicated, Ameno,” Itachi replies. “I wanted to do something for the society, for the underprivileged of our country. I started Coco Shelters with the hope that, one day, we might not have any homeless people on the streets.”

“A philanthropic approach,” Ameno nods. “I suppose we can’t all be that surprised, on the other hand. The Uchiha Charity Trust is one of the leading bodies to lend a helping hand to the underprivileged. The exclusive Christmas galas every year hosted by Uchiha Fugaku are well-known among the community. I have to ask, Itachi, why the name Coco? The Uchihas are known for their notorious proclivity to use legendary names.”

Itachi laughs lightly, easily deflecting the question. “Are you criticising my company name on national television, Ameno?” he jokes.

Ameno’s cheeks warm, even as she chuckles. “Of course, not. Just curious. Coming back to Sasuke – Sasuke, we would like to know your thoughts on Itachi’s company.”

Sasuke frowns slightly. “Well, I don’t know what you want me to say, to be honest. If you want to hear how I support him, of course I do. If you’re asking my professional opinion, then as a fellow businessman, he’s – technically – my competitor. However, as everyone is aware, Coco Shelters and Tsukuyomi are known to work together on various aspects in the business market. It was inevitable – Tsukuyomi is a networking brand, and Coco Shelters thrives on it.”

“A fair point,” she concedes, and turns to the camera. “We’ll be back with more questions for the Uchiha brothers after a short break. Stay tuned.”

When they get the signal to move, Itachi asks for some water, and Sasuke checks his phone.

“Why did this have to be live?” Sasuke mutters under his breath.

“Relax.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Sasuke doesn’t like interviews. He’s never liked them. He becomes jittery and nervous, and Itachi has no idea what to make of it. He has seen his brother effectively shutting up some of the known businessmen of the industry without blinking a single eye.

After all, he was the only one among Itachi, Shikamaru, and himself to _take the internship seriously_.

“Alright,” Ameno calls out. “You are aware that the next questions will be more personal in nature?”

Itachi nods. Sasuke throws a quick, disinterested “Yeah” and goes back to his phone.

After the short break, Ameno begins with Sasuke. “Sasuke, you recently came out on social media. Did you receive the reaction that you were hoping for?”

A tiny frown appears between his eyebrows. “I wasn’t really hoping for any kind of reaction. There was a lot of talk in the media about me dating a variety of women. One even said that I was secretly engaged to Hyuuga Hinata. I felt the need to clarify it since Hinata is a good friend of mine. Not to mention, it’s very obvious that she’s happy in her relationship with Inuzuka Kiba, who is also a good friend of mine.”

Ameno nods. “Alright. Regardless, I must ask, how has it been until now? I sensed quite some displeasure when you came out. If I remember correctly, there were a few articles that questioned your position at Tsukuyomi, believing that a future gay CEO of such a large organisation is preposterous.”

Itachi’s jaw clench, and he forces himself not to speak.

Sasuke, on the other hand, chuckles. “Ameno, no offence, but I don’t have the time to worry about their reactions. Moreover, that’s only a part of it. I have also received a larger amount of support and love from both LGBT community and otherwise. I’m very grateful for that.”

Ameno smiles. “Sasuke, I must applaud you on your positive outlook. I’m glad to hear that you haven’t allowed yourself a setback due to it.”

Sasuke dips his head. “Thank you.”

“For our viewers who are not aware, Itachi and Sasuke also recently appeared in _People’s Magazine_ for 30 Under 30 Current Businessmen Heart Throbs of the country. Itachi, let’s come back to you,” she says in a sudden business-like tone. “I have to admit, we did some digging in your past, and we came across an incriminating video from your ex-girlfriend.”

Itachi raises his eyebrows coolly. “Where’s the question, Ameno?”

She flushes again, but soldiers through. “You were very tight-lipped over it back then, and you have been the same ever since. I believe that we all would like to hear your thoughts on it.”

Itachi takes a few moments to gather his words. “I truly have no idea what to say. My ex-girlfriend felt the need to post that video, and that was all there was to it.”

Besides, he wants to point out, the articles on his company are much more controversial than his high school spat. But – he supposes that he can cut some slack. The media has rarely bothered itself with putting things in perspective.

“Did you agree with her?” she asks directly.

“No, absolutely not. But I did not feel the need to acknowledge it, either.”

“That’s quite arrogant,” she says stiffly.

Itachi suddenly laughs. “This is exactly why I chose not to acknowledge it,” he replies with amusement. “Whatever I say over it, or don’t, will be taken in the wrong way.”

“Fair enough. Moving on, there is some talk that you are in a relationship with the rising theatre talent Ms. Sabaku Temari. Is that true?”

Itachi groans openly. “No. If people would just take the time to pay attention, they’d know Temari is my friend.”

Ameno smiles sympathetically. “Although, there have been many sightings of just the two of you in the media – majority of them include you two exiting dance studios in the city.”

Itachi remembers these so-called sightings all too well – more like, being hounded by the paparazzi.

“We’ve been practising together since college,” Itachi tells her. “That’s it.”

“Alright. I’m sure our viewers will be happy to know that you’re still single, Itachi. Which, again, brings us back to Sasuke. Ever since you came out, people have been dissecting your social media feeds. They’re now convinced that you are dating Namikaze Naruto, the man who is responsible for shaking up half the government currently.”

 _Nature surely fights back_ , Itachi thinks and has the sudden desire to laugh, but tamps down on it. Naruto has proven himself as a competent resource for Itachi, as well, in the “side-service” of his organization.

It seems as though Sasuke can’t help himself, because his face positively splits in a grin. “No,” he laughs softly. “Naruto is a school friend. We’re not in a relationship.”

“We actually have a huge fan following for the two of you,” Ameno tells them, smiling herself. “People are convinced that it’s the latest epic romance between the future CEO and the future Governor, both from the LGBT community. It has created a considerable amount of excitement, rightfully so.”

Sasuke blushes up a storm. “No, no. Naruto is a good friend of mine,” he repeats.

“I hope you heard that, viewers,” Ameno turns to the camera. “The Uchiha brothers are apparently up for grabs, so don’t miss your chance. On that note, I regret to inform you that this interview has come to an end…”

* * *

Itachi hears the front door being unlocked. He glances at the time. 8.20 PM.

“Hi, honey,” Temari’s teasing voice floats across the space a few moments later. “I’m hoooome.”

“In here,” Itachi calls out.

She enters the bedroom with Shikamaru in tow. “Did you miss me, darling?”

“Shut it,” Itachi rolls his eyes.

Temari laughs and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. Shikamaru drops in the desk chair.

“Nice interview,” she smirks. “Thanks for not clarifying that I’m dating the _other_ Founder of Coco.”

“You’re welcome,” Itachi tells her, despite knowing that she’s being sarcastic. “And do it yourself. I’m not here to announce your relationship to the world.”

“Then whose?” Shikamaru says flatly. “Certainly not yours.”

“My dating life is fine,” Itachi defends.

“Non-existent, you mean,” Temari says. “When was the last time you went on a date?”

Itachi crawls down on his stomach and faces her. “I went out just last week.”

“They’re all first dates,” Temari says softly, stroking his head.

“There were some fifth dates,” Itachi argues weakly. “And it’s alright. I’m too busy, anyway.”

She laughs and Shikamaru scoffs. “You’re home on a Saturday night,” Shikamaru points out. “Temari literally dragged me here so that we can take you out.”

“Come on,” Temari tugs on his hand.

Itachi complies and they end up at Kamui. Obito greets them cheerily, and shows them to an empty table.

“Where’s Kakashi?” he asks his uncle.

“Home,” Obito says. “He’s in his I Hate The World phase.”

“Reading porn, then,” Itachi says dryly. “How long is he staying this time around?”

Kakashi returned to active duty when Itachi relieved him. Whenever he’s home for the holidays, he spends it with Obito. Itachi wants to ask if they’re both dating, because Kakashi simply moving in with Obito with no fuss is weirdly intriguing. Granted, they’re school friends, and Itachi knows that Obito had been devastated when Kakashi first enrolled in the Army, so maybe this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

“Four months,” Obito replies with a sigh.

“Man, you Uchihas are so secretive,” Temari remarks when Obito leaves.

“I don’t see the problem in it,” Itachi says. “What do you want to order?”

* * *

Itachi enters the apartment with his own set of keys.

Naruto and Sasuke are heavily making out on the couch, and Kitsune is hovering around with no idea whether to approach his two Dads or not.

“I should leak this video,” Itachi says loudly, and the two of them jump apart. “That will make your so-called following immensely happy.”

Naruto beams at him, doesn’t let Sasuke move away. “Hi!”

Sasuke gives up struggling, and snuggles into his side. Naruto places one last kiss on his lips.

“I’m so glad I moved out,” Itachi mutters, moving towards the kitchen to place the brown bags on the counter.

* * *

Itachi is in the middle of turning away from the reception desk when something pink outside the main glass doors catches his eye.

His feet are moving in that direction even before it registers in his mind that pink can be _anything_ , and he didn’t see whatever it was clearly, anyway. But he has to make sure, so he opens the doors, steps out on the pavement and watches with heart hammering inside his chest –

Soft pink hair walking down the street, away from him.

Itachi kind of freezes. There are not many young women who sport the pink hair look, and most of the times they’re dyed, not the natural type, the type that Itachi has known intimately. And this definitely looks like the one Itachi has known intimately.

He has no idea what to do. This was not in the plan. This was never discussed. Itachi was not told what to do if such a situation ever occurred.

She’s a good ways down the street now. Itachi watches the bobbing pink head until it turns a distant corner, before returning inside the doors on numb legs.

* * *

Itachi enters his house. He doesn’t turn on the lights, merely dumps his jacket and laptop bag on the couch. Then goes to his bedroom in equal darkness.

A minute later, he’s lying under the blanket, breathing heavily, knees pressed against his chest.

He pulls out his phone from his pocket. Shikamaru has sent **Why did you rush off after office?** And then Temari’s text reads **Itachi, you missed practice. Shika just told me something happened. Are you okay? What’s going on?**

No, he is not okay. He is not okay at all. He feels a little mad, because he should have known what to do today. He should have been told what to do even if he promises _don’t look for me_ , and then faces such a situation in life. This possibility should have been discussed.

He tries to swallow past the lump in his throat, fails miserably, tries again, and fails again.

He unlocks his phone, doesn’t bother replying to the messages just yet. Instead, he opens the photo gallery with trembling fingers –

_Just to make sure. Just to make sure it’s the same pink._

He hasn’t scrolled up in _years_. He hasn’t seen that pink, that melting apple green Sasuke would have, should have, requested to paint.

When he reaches the photos, his heart nearly stops, and then kicks off faster than before. The lump in his throat is bigger than ever, and Itachi’s face twists in sheer pain and hurt and _longing_ and –

_This should have been discussed._

There she is. Peeking out from underneath a thin curtain of soft pink hair, one green eye looking at him from the inside of his phone, a secretive smile pulled at her lips, and it’s all mischievous and melting green, and Itachi cries harder under the blanket, under the darkness of the night, and the silence of the room –

* * *

It is two days later when he sees the same flash of pink outside the office doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Yep. Yep.
> 
> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this makes up for all the angst! :P

He’s standing in the lobby after lunch break, being hounded upon with another issue.

“I was thinking we could go down there, see what the hold-up is – Itachi? Hey, where are you going?”

Itachi ignores him and rushes past the reception desk, through the doors, and hurries down the three steps on to the pavement. Itachi’s headquarters is a five-storied building on one of the industrial streets in the city. The place is filled with after-lunch buzz with workers in business suits hurrying towards their offices with go-to cups in hands, chattering and complaining about random things.

She hasn’t gone far this time.

His heart stutters. He swallows the instant nervousness, and calls out, “Sakura?”

She stops. Time seems to crawl as she turns around, and Itachi is subjected to the melting trees in burning snow even across the ten feet distance between them, even through the flickering pedestrian crowd between them.

Something in his mind clicks as he sees her, as though the world has suddenly righted itself when he hasn’t been aware that it has been upside down this entire time.

“Sakura,” he exhales out for no reason at all but to say her name, something he hasn’t done in years.

She’s wearing a plain grey figure-hugging dress that reaches her knees, and her hair is longer than ever. She’s parted it in the middle now and they frame her face – her face that is not teenager-like, but that of a grown woman. She, herself, is all curves now, not the sharp angles that she used to be. In fact, Itachi suddenly feels self-conscious. He’s not seventeen anymore, either. There is toned muscle and broad shoulders from years of workout, ballet, and theatre. He’s also grown a few inches taller by the time he’d turned twenty. Not to mention, he’s currently wearing a marble grey business suit with a white formal shirt underneath, and brown Derbies.

He is not the same boy that she knew.

She isn’t saying anything at all, but her eyes flick over to the board outside the office. His office.

Itachi wanted to make his presence known, he wanted to make some noise. So he printed the same content in everything that he could think of – from newspapers, pamphlets, flyers to social media platforms to large billboards across the country – all spelling out on a plain white background, the same four letters repeated over and over in apple green coloured font –

“Hey, Itachi? Why did you suddenly … Sakura?”

Itachi doesn’t tear his eyes away from hers even as he feels a body push past his shoulders, making him stumble slightly, and he’s irritated for just a moment, but this is not the time for it, because Sasori is enveloping her in a huge hug.

“Where were you?!”

Sasori pulls back, and Itachi’s view is blocked by the man. But he hears Sakura’s confused voice clearly, and his heart stutters again. He hasn’t heard it in years.

“Sasori?”

It’s deeper now.

“Where were you?” he repeats, and Itachi wants to know the same.

“I … just, you know.”

“Come on! Let’s go inside,” he starts to drag her towards the office doors, and Itachi is rooted to the spot.

“Wait,” she says. “You go ahead. I’ll just … I’ll be in.”

Sasori glances between Itachi and her, confused, but leaves quietly when Itachi shoots him one of his best _Boss_ looks.

She faces him again, this time across five feet. “Hey.”

He swallows. “Hi.”

They look at each other.

“I …” Itachi stammers uncertainly. “I didn’t know whether to stop you or not. You said not to look for you, and I swear, I swear that I didn’t. I just … I saw you two days ago crossing this way, and today again, and I didn’t think. I …”

She fidgets, biting down on her lip, staring at the ground. “No – no, I was here. I’ve been coming here for days. I just … to talk to you. But I couldn’t do it.”

“Yeah?” he breathes out.

She glances at him and quickly looks away again. “Yeah. Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted to see you once.”

“Right,” he says, not knowing what else to say. “I’d lo – like. I’d like that. For us to talk.”

“Yeah?” she peeks at him.

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“Do you,” he clears his throat. “Do you want to come inside?”

She nods. “What’s Sasori doing here?”

Itachi tries for a shrug. It comes out jerky. “He works with me now. And – you’ll see. Come on.”

He leads her inside the glass doors in a daze. Sakura follows quietly, maintaining a respectful distance of three feet between them. Itachi walks to one of the elevators, being constantly greeted with _Hey Boss_ or _How was the lunch, Sir?_ or _I wanted to talk to you about the Seven Mists deal,_ presses the button and waits. The air is tense inside the vessel, and as soon as they exit – after what feels like _hours_ – Sasori is marching forward again, beaming from ear to ear.

“Look who’s here!” he says excitedly.

Itachi moves aside. He watches Sakura’s disbelief continue to grow as Deidara, Kakuzu, Karui, Mei, and Sai all come to meet her, as if Sasori had taken it upon himself to gather them and wait for the two to arrive on the floor. Shikamaru exits his cabin to see what the disturbance is about.

“What’s happening?” he asks, coming to a stand beside Itachi, clad in a dark blue two-piece suit.

“That’s Sakura,” Itachi tells him and suddenly he can’t help himself – he smiles.

“What?” Shikamaru stares at him. “Your Sakura?”

“She’s not mine,” Itachi mutters, blushing, making sure that she doesn’t hear Shikamaru.

Sakura is busy being surrounded by her old friends, oblivious to the two.

“Sure,” Shikamaru says dismissively. He then clears his throat loudly, and the chattering group turns to him, stopping in their speech abruptly. “This is still official hours, people. Back to your desks. Ms. Haruno, if you could please step inside Itachi’s cabin?”

Loud groans echo around the office, but they dutifully return to work, with promises of catching up as soon as they become free at 5.30 PM.

Sakura nods at them and smiles, agreeing, and then she’s facing Itachi again. Itachi blinks back blankly. Shikamaru clears his throat once more.

“This way,” Itachi tells her, snapping out of it, leading her to his cabin. The steel plaque on the semi-private glass door reads _Uchiha Itachi, CEO and Co-founder, Coco Shelters._

Once inside, Sakura stands near the window. The room is large and spacious, with a wide table, five chairs, a rack neatly filled with books against one wall, a three-seater couch, and a low height coffee table.

Itachi walks behind his desk, suddenly feeling embarrassed because there are stacks of pamphlets and flyers littered around, all saying _Coco_ , his pens are scattered, random sheets of paper with various drafts are piled up across the expanse of the glass surface. He tries to gather them all to make it look somewhat clean.

“I’m Nara Shikamaru,” Shikamaru takes the lead again, shaking her hand. “Co-founder and COO.”

She nods. “Haruno Sakura. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Let me call for coffee.” He goes to the door, and hollers out. “Tobi! Three coffees!”

“Coming!” Tobi’s voice floats back.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” he suggests her, throwing an amused look towards Itachi, who is still trying to clean his desk without being too obvious about it.

“Thank you.”

She sits down. Itachi gives up, and sits on his chair. Shikamaru takes the other chair, the one beside Sakura, turning it slightly so he faces her.

“Itachi has told me a little about you,” Shikamaru says bluntly. “He said that you knew each other when he was in high school.”

Sakura bites down on her lip. “Yes.”

“But then you lost contact.”

An awkward pause. “Yes.”

Tobi knocks on the door, bringing in a tray of three cups. He hands it over to Shikamaru and leaves, saying that he’ll have the write-ups on the desk by five.

“If I may ask, what are you doing here?”

“Shika,” Itachi cuts in. “I don’t think that’s for you to ask her.”

Shikamaru raises his eyebrows at him. “You’re too tongue-tied to ask her _anything_. I figured I’ll help you out.”

Itachi’s ears burn, and Sakura avoids looking at him. But Shikamaru gets to his feet with his cup of coffee, saying that he’ll be in his cabin if they need anything, and reminds Itachi that it is still official hours and he has work to do.

“I should leave,” Sakura says when Shikamaru is gone.

“No, wait!” Itachi blurts out. “You can stay here. I don’t mind.”

To be honest, he’s feeling a little peeved. He’s worried that she won’t return at five-thirty even to meet her friends.

“No, no,” she insists, standing up. Itachi shoots out of his chair on reflex. “You have work. I’ll be back.”

Silence.

“You will?”

She looks at him. “5.30,” she says. “I’ll see you then.”

* * *

She’s waiting outside the doors, on the pavement.

Itachi doesn’t approach her directly, though. He stands with Shikamaru to the side as the others pitter-patter around her.

“Are you going to wait?” Shikamaru asks him.

Itachi hesitates. “I want to, but I need to be at the studio in an hour.”

He has to meet with Temari for their upcoming drama’s practice. He’s already missed the one from two days ago, and he can’t miss another one so soon.

“Hey, Itachi!” Sai calls out. “Coming or not? We’re heading down to a pub.”

Itachi walks closer to the group. He glances at Sai, then at Sakura. “I can’t. I have to … I have a thing.”

Sakura bites her lip, nods her head. “Maybe we could text?”

He feels a rush of staggering relief, and hopes to all hell that it doesn’t show. “Right. Sure.”

Sai is snickering.

She gives him her new number, and he adds it to Banana Flyer contact.

“Mine is still the same.”

Sakura nods. “Okay.”

* * *

“You’re kidding,” Temari stares at him, pausing in the middle of tying her hair up. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Itachi replies, stretching his spine to reach his toes. “We exchanged numbers.”

“Wow,” she says with astonishment. “Never thought she’d really show up.”

“What should I do?” he asks and doesn’t care if he’s sounding helpless.

“What do you mean what should you do?” Temari frowns. “Talk to her. She said she wants to talk, right? And what else _can_ you do? Ignore her?”

Itachi doesn’t respond. They warm up for the practice, and Temari lets it go.

Later at night, he thinks that he should call Sasuke. But Sasuke will tell Naruto, and Naruto will want to meet her immediately. Itachi thinks that he should first speak with her, listen to what she wants to say. Because if she’s come only for one conversation and nothing more, then there’s no point in telling his brother or Naruto.

She doesn’t text that night, and neither does he.

* * *

He wakes up to one, though.

**Breakfast?**

That’s it. That’s all it says.

_Okay. Starbucks near my office at 7.30._

**Done. My treat.**

Itachi wears his usual work attire that consists of a two-piece business suit and formal shoes, grabs his laptop bag, keys, wallet, phone, and drives down to Starbucks.

Sakura is sitting at one of the tables. Itachi takes a moment to look at her before approaching. She’s fidgeting with her phone, her hair is open today as well, and she’s wearing another dress – this time a bottle green one.

“Hi.”

She looks up from her phone. “Hi.”

He takes a seat across from her, still feeling surreal about the whole thing. He orders for a sandwich and coffee, and she does the same.

“How’ve you been?” she asks nervously.

“Good. Fine. You?”

She nods. “Same.”

Silence.

“You wanted to speak with me?” he eventually says.

“Yes.”

“About?”

“Nothing in particular,” she admits, now looking shy. “Just … wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Okay.”

Silence.

“What have you been up to?” he breaks it again.

Sakura’s eyes keep darting around. “A few things. I’m working currently.”

“That’s nice. What do you do?”

“I sing at a pub,” she says, blushing. “Five times a week.”

Itachi feels a chill down his spine. “You’ve been in the city all this time?”

“No!” she quickly answers, eyes locking on his. “No, I haven’t. I only came over a month ago.”

His anger melts away as quickly as it had begun. “Right.”

Silence.

“I travelled,” she volunteers. “Got my documents sorted. Gave the high school exam.”

“That’s good.”

Their orders arrive. Itachi thanks the server, takes a sip of his coffee. They eat a few bites in silence.

“Where’s Kakashi?” she asks weakly.

Itachi tells her how he’s returned to active duty, and doesn’t really work for him anymore, but that he’s home for a brief period of time.

“No guardian?”

“No,” he shakes his head.

“Not even a driver?”

“No.”

Silence.

Not that he never considered it. Early in his career, he’d realised just how _hectic_ and _tedious_ starting a company truly is. There were so many, _too_ many aspects to deal with, countless number of phone calls, hundreds of meetings, thousands of visits to the existing establishments that they wanted to buy under their banner of Coco Shelters, lawyers, accountants, employee interviews for the higher-up positions – who would then undertake the task of hiring the lower ones. The location of his office itself had taken over a month to be finalised.

But he feels that if ever does consider hiring help, it would always be Kakashi.

Itachi can’t take the silence anymore. He pushes his plate away and gets to his feet suddenly. Sakura scrambles up.

“You’re leaving?”

He grabs his laptop bag from the other chair, and loops it around his neck. “I don’t understand what you’re doing here, Sakura,” he says bluntly. “I thought seeing you will make sense, that if you were to return, I’ll know what to do.” He inhales shakily. “Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad to see you again. But I just don’t know what to make of it.”

Sakura is biting her lip, and her face falls.

Itachi holds her gaze. “What do you want, Sakura?”

She blinks rapidly, and Itachi thinks that her shoulders are trembling slightly. He can’t be sure, though – maybe it’s him who is shaking. “Are you willing to give it to me?”

He takes a steadying breath, his fist clenching and unclenching on the strap of the bag across his chest. “Try me.”

Sakura’s gaze is fixed on his now, no fidgeting, no staring at the ground, no averting. In an absurd moment, he notices that her freckled cheeks are not as freckled anymore. Itachi had no idea that freckles can fade away over time. He kind of misses them.

“I want to be your friend,” she replies tremulously. “I know that I don’t deserve it. And I won’t blame you if you refuse. But I’d like to … I’d like to be able to talk to you again.”

And Itachi stares at her, heart thundering in his ears, because this can’t possibly be real. He feels the sudden weight, the sheer magnitude of the situation, and it seems as though his brain is finally, _finally_ processing that _Sakura is here, she’s here, standing across from him_ – and asking to be his friend? How ridiculous is that? Does she have no idea how long he’s waited? How painful it has been for him? How he has invested his entire wealth into making sure that wherever she’d be in the country, Itachi will be there, nearby, with his _Coco Shelters_ , so that she won’t be lonely anymore?

His other hand is clutching the back of the chair he’s just vacated. It takes him a few moments to reply, and she waits, eyes steady but fingers fidgeting, as if he could actually refuse her.

“Okay.” 

* * *

Shikamaru doesn’t bother asking Itachi why he seems to be floating on air throughout the day.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke are having dinner when Itachi enters their apartment. Despite the large size of the dining table, as always – they’re sitting side-by-side. Kitsune is nowhere to be seen.

“Hey,” he greets them and grabs a plate for himself. There’s a bowl of steamed rice and another of chicken curry. Itachi takes a spoonful of each, picks out a fork from the stand, and sits across Sasuke.

“Sort this out for us,” Naruto says. “Which is worse? A liftman job or a professional sleeper?”

“Sleeper,” Itachi instantly replies.

“See?” Sasuke cheers. “Told you!”

“But at least a professional sleeper doesn’t have to push buttons through the day that anyone can easily do!” Naruto argues.

“Yeah, but sleeping all day long? I’ll take pushing buttons any day.”

“Exactly,” Sasuke quips.

“I’d love to get some sleep,” Naruto says dreamily. “Imagine that.”

And Itachi can’t help it, he says, “I didn’t know my brother is so … _active_.”

Naruto suddenly snorts, snapping out of his daze. “As if! Sasuke is _this_ close to being celibate!”

“Hey!” Sasuke protests. “You’re such a liar. First of all, you’re hardly home. Second of all, whenever you do come, I’m too tired to even stay awake. If you want some _action_ , then you have to earn it.”

“Sorry, babe,” Naruto grins, planting a kiss on Sasuke’s cheek. “People above all.”

Sasuke shakes his head, smirking and smiling at the same time. “Yeah, yeah. I knew what I was getting into.”

Naruto’s face softens, and Itachi remembers all too well how whenever they get in an argument, Itachi is asked to arbitrate – except that he doesn’t _need_ to, exactly, because they end up either fighting or having sex or both, that too in Itachi’s precious former dance studio in the apartment. There’s a legit reason why Temari and him are seen exiting _other_ dance studios across the city.

He clears his throat pointedly.

“Where’s your child?” he asks them.

“He’s sick,” Naruto says with a small pout. “So we kept him with Kiba. How’s the practice coming along?”

“It’s fine.”

“Also,” Sasuke says. “Naruto and I were discussing about hosting a dinner party soon. Do you think you’ll be free?”

“What’s the occasion?” Itachi queries, mentally calculating the dates.

“Nothing in particular,” Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Just his incessant need to have reunions.”

“Come on,” Naruto says. “Keeping in touch with your friends is very important! I mean, the last time we met was … when Yahiko and Konan got divorced. That was almost six months ago!”

“We do meet our friends,” Sasuke reminds him. “We meet Hinata, Suigetsu, Kiba, Shino, Bee, Chouji, and Gaara all the time.”

Naruto suddenly turns thoughtful, and says seriously, “Do you think we need more girl friends?”

“And what?” Sasuke says bemusedly, throwing a glance at Itachi. “Have my brother date them all, before they inevitably leave?”

Itachi purses his lips. “I never dated Hinata,” he points out. “Or Karin. Or Temari.”

“Is Karin still our friend?” Naruto continues in the same thoughtful manner, ignoring Itachi entirely. “I mean, of course, she’s Suigetsu’s girlfriend and everything, but we hardly see her now without him.”

“Because she is Samui’s friend,” Sasuke says. “And Samui refuses to be in Itachi’s presence, even today.”

“True,” Naruto agrees with a nod. “And Temari is more Itachi’s friend than ours.”

“Yeah,” Sasuke says. “Maybe we do need more girl friends.”

“Is this what you two talk about every day?” Itachi questions a little incredulously.

“What’s wrong with it?” Naruto retorts defensively.

Itachi barks out a laugh. “They call you the future Governor, Namikaze,” he says with amusement. “And my brother the future CEO who is going to surpass Uchiha Madara one day. People are probably picturing you two having serious discussions over the state of our country or the business industry, or having deep conversations about Gandhi or some famous autobiography. Not about liftman and professional sleepers, or whether you have enough girl friends.”

To be honest, this isn’t the first time Itachi has witnessed them having such menial conversations. Gone are the days when they used to discuss every controversial topic under the sun whenever they spoke.

“I speak about the state of our country all day long,” Naruto says stubbornly. “I can only talk about this stuff with Sasuke.”

“True,” Itachi concedes. “Only my brother is tolerant enough of your absurdity.”

Sasuke laughs and Naruto pouts further.

“You know I like it,” Sasuke assures him, pulling him in for a kiss.

“I’m honestly surprised how you two manage to keep your hands off each other in public,” Itachi remarks honestly.

“Who says we do?” Naruto grins, looking every bit fox-like.

And Itachi shudders, vowing never to go out with them again, ever.

* * *

When they’re lounging on the couch after dinner, Itachi finally gathers enough courage to tell them about the recent events.

“I have some news,” he begins apprehensively.

Sasuke is sitting on the floor with his back against the couch. Naruto has his legs on either side of him, hands buried in Sasuke’s hair, massaging his scalp languidly. Itachi is stretched out on the other end with feet touching Naruto’s side.

“What’s up?” Sasuke asks lazily, eyes shut, head rolled back.

“Sakura is in the city.”

Naruto’s hands still, and Sasuke’s eyes shoot open. They both turn at the same time to stare at him with identical dumbfounded faces.

“What? When?”

“She came back over a month ago,” Itachi says. “But I’ve only met her yesterday for breakfast.”

“What did she say?” Naruto asks. “Is she staying? Wait, are you two…?”

Itachi immediately shakes his head, understanding the implication. “No. She wants to be friends.”

“What?” Sasuke’s face twists in confusion and disbelief. “She wants to be _friends_?”

“Yeah,” Itachi says defensively. “What’s wrong with being friends?”

Sasuke laughs with amazement, as though he can’t believe Itachi is so stupid. Naruto falls quiet. “What’s wrong with being friends? Are you kidding me? Did you forget what had happened? Itachi, your company’s name should be enough of a testament to tell you why being _friends_ is the stupidest thing I’ve heard today!”

“Sasuke,” Itachi licks his lips. “She came back. What do you expect me to do?”

“She didn’t come back,” Sasuke says coldly. “You don’t know that. She might decide again that being your friend or whatever is not worth it. What then?”

Itachi lowers his head to stare at his hands. “I don’t know,” he admits. “All I know is that she wants to be friends.”

“And you’re just going to go along with it?” Sasuke says, disbelief rising further.

“Yes.”

“ _Jesus_ ,” Sasuke says angrily. “Itachi, grow a goddamn spine. You can’t let her get away with everything! She treated you horribly then, and she will break your heart again.”

“You don’t know that,” Itachi argues weakly.

“No, I don’t. But are you willing to risk it?”

“Sasuke,” Naruto cuts in with a soothing voice. “I’m sure your brother is overwhelmed right now. Let’s just see what happens, yeah? Sakura is not a bad person.”

“She broke his heart and left,” Sasuke says ruthlessly. “She didn’t even give him a choice. I don’t care whether she’s a bad person or not, she was bad to him. And Naruto, you don’t know. Itachi was … he was just catatonic for months that time. Sure, he was going through his routine, but when we were home, I’d sit with him every night, staring at the ceiling in complete silence.”

Itachi swallows; the memories rushing back even as he tries to fight against them.

“And you were doing so much better!” Sasuke continues passionately, almost begging Itachi. “You were going out, you were dating. You were moving on! Now, all that effort will be wasted. Just because she suddenly decided to return and be your _friend_. What right does she have to march into your life whenever she feels like it? And fine, that’s her choice. But are you going to let her walk over you, all over again?”

Itachi doesn’t respond immediately. He takes some time to gather his thoughts, and then, for the first time in his life, voices his opinion over the whole matter. This is not the first time Sasuke has tried to point out that Sakura’s actions were unacceptable, that she did not treat him fairly. Itachi hadn’t said anything then, merely let his brother vent his frustration because he knew that Sasuke was only thinking of Itachi’s wellbeing. He was just being protective. Now, _now_ , though, he feels that it is time –

“Sasuke,” he begins with enforced calm. “If our Dad is killed in an accident at the hands of an alcoholic driver, would you be with an alcoholic with a clear conscience?”

Sasuke’s mouth snaps shut.

“Sakura’s life was ruined because of a power-hungry cockroach,” Itachi continues in the tense silence, now unable to stay mute. “She lost her home, her friends, her family all under a day. Her first boyfriend killed himself and she didn’t know. And then there I was – arrogant, loving the power that came with my wealth. I kicked a student out of school, Sasuke, because I got mad. I’m not saying that Izumi was pure hearted. She was wrong. She never should have done what she did. But I handled it the only way I knew how, removing her out of my life completely. I didn’t fight. I didn’t stand against her and tell her that she was wrong. I didn’t tell her that she needed help. I didn’t ask for help in dealing with the issue, I _commanded_ according to my own brand of justice.

“How could she have stayed with me? She saw another Shimura Danzo in me, someone who was capable of punishing people just because they didn’t like something, and wanted things to go their way. I thought about this a lot after she left. At first, I was angry with her for just leaving me like that. I was truly mad. It took me months to calm down, to understand her position. To realise what I had done.

“Yes, she has every right to return and ask to be friends. I’m the one who is grateful for this second chance, Sasuke. I can show her now that I’m nothing like Shimura Danzo anymore. That I’ve become a better person. I have no right to demand for her affection in any way, and I won’t be doing that. What I can do is, is be her friend. You might not know it, but Sakura is … she’s …”

And he trails off, unable to form words to really describe her, to find words that will do any real justice. Itachi thinks that there is probably no way to put this – this – whatever this is in a coherent language. So he doesn’t. Instead, he thinks about when he’d searched for Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, Mei, and Karui after his college graduation. When he’d helped them in getting their parents out of prison, using his influence, ignoring Fugaku’s protests. When he’d asked for one last favour from Kakashi before relieving him of his duties – to give Shimura Danzo his due punishment. When he’d then offered jobs to the others, promising a steady income, and they’d accepted. He didn’t tell them about how he knew Sakura; in fact, they still have no idea that he ever knew her in the first place. All he had said was that Shimura Danzo has made his personal life difficult and he wants to correct certain things. When he’d returned to Sai’s motel, and Sai had jumped into his arms, laughing and yelling at the same time _where the fuck did you go, you fucking piece of shit?_

Sai never asked about Sakura. When Itachi offered him a job in Coco Shelters, a chain of lodging across the country, Sai had opened a bottle of wine, played some deplorable songs, and forced him to dance.

Now, Itachi lets the silence hang between the three of them, studying his hands instead, and remembers them flying across black and white keys in perfect rhythm.

* * *

It’s a Sunday, and Itachi is lying on his bed, playing catch with Sai, Shikamaru, and Temari, who are scattered around his room at strategic places.

“Is anyone hungry?” Sai asks at one point.

“Sure,” Itachi drills, without moving, passing the ball to Shikamaru.

“Let’s go eat,” Sai suggests.

“Sure,” Itachi repeats, doesn’t move.

“Call for delivery,” Temari says tiredly. “It’s too hot today to go out.”

“Come on,” Sai whines. “I’m bored! We’ve been cooped up here for two hours now.”

“Sai, be a lamb and get us some food,” Shikamaru says.

Sai groans. “No,” he refuses stubbornly. “Get up. Get dressed. We’re going out. And if it’s too hot, put some damn sunscreen on.”

“Sure, you’d say that,” Temari narrows her eyes. “Sun has absolutely no effect on you.”

“That’s not my fault,” Sai argues. “Where should we go? How about that new café two blocks away? What was the name?”

Shikamaru sighs. “It’s just another branch of Social.”

“Right. Let’s go.”

“Where is Da Vinci and his muse today?” Temari asks Itachi.

He still hasn’t moved. “They went to the north. One-day trip. Iruka’s resort.”

“I miss the times when you were livelier,” Temari remarks.

“Whatever.”

Sai ends up pulling Itachi off the bed. Itachi doesn’t bother with changing. He thinks he’s just fine in cargo shorts and a loose T-shirt.

They decide to walk the distance, and Temari complains the whole way about swimming in the sultry heat. The cool air inside the café feels like pure bliss. Temari outright refuses an outdoor table, and picks one that is directly under one of the AC vents.

“Beer,” she announces immediately. “Lots and lots of beer.”

“You want to get drunk in the afternoon?” Shikamaru asks her warily.

“Yes.”

“I’m with her,” Itachi puts in. “This is the first Sunday we’re not practicing in weeks.”

“Fine, what the hell?” Sai grumbles. “Let’s get drunk.”

One and half hour later, Itachi is smirking lazily, Shikamaru is irritated, Temari is draped over his arm, and Sai is thumping the table, laughing at his own lame joke, _Beer may not make you smart, Budweiser_.

“You know what we should do?” Sai says at one point. “We should call Sakura.”

“You think?” Itachi raises his eyebrows.

“Yes,” Sai nods firmly. “We three haven’t hung out in _years_. We should totally call her.”

“Didn’t you meet her just a few days ago?”

“So what?”

Itachi’s hands come up in defence. “Nothing. Just pointing it out.”

Actually, he hasn’t spoken with her after their breakfast a little over a week ago. Sure, he agreed to being friends with her, but they haven’t even exchanged a single text after that. Itachi has no idea how to proceed, and decides that maybe she doesn’t, either.

This was never discussed, after all.

“I’m calling her,” Sai announces, pulling out his phone. “You two don’t mind, right?”

Temari giggles. “Go ahead. I’m dying to meet the woman who has this asshole wrapped around her finger.”

“Hey!” Itachi exclaims.

“At least deny it, man,” Shikamaru says tiredly.

“Shut up, everyone,” Sai says loudly, phone placed on his ear. “Hey, Sakura! What are you up to?” Pause. “Great! Come and join us!” Pause. “There’s me, Shikamaru, Temari, and Itachi.” Pause. “Of course, it’s fine! Temari says that she’s dying to meet you.” Pause. “No, no. I swear she said that.” Pause. “Awesome. I’m sending you the location!”

He cuts the call, and grins. “She’s coming.”

Itachi’s heart stutters. “Great. Okay. We should save her some beer, right? She likes beer.”

Temari snorts and then laughs loudly, pointing a finger at him. “Oh my God, your face!”

“You should have seen him when she came to the office,” Shikamaru joins in. “As if he’s seen a ghost.”

“A beautiful ghost,” Sai corrects him. “When we were young, he’d sneak into the motel room, right? And he’d carry his laptop and iPod and everything he could think of, so she wouldn’t get bored.”

Temari laughs harder. “I’ve never seen him so smitten. Remember that time Samui was wearing this white bikini? We were at that … what was that?”

“Some event,” Shikamaru ponders. “Hang on … I remember it was a pool party. Oh, right! Jirobo had called everyone over at his new farmhouse.”

“Yes!” Temari snaps her fingers. “That thing. And Samui was wearing that white bikini. _Everyone_ was staring. She was looking beyond hot. And you know what Itachi was doing?”

“What?” Sai asks with a smirk.

“He was chilling on the pool chair, wearing his sunglasses, and listening to music on his iPod. The. Whole. Time.”

“No, shit?”

“Yeah. Dude, you should have seen Samui. She deserved better than this moody jerk.”

“I think that’s enough,” Itachi cuts in, raising his voice.

The others laugh for five more minutes at his expense. He ignores them as much as possible, and the alcohol buzz is definitely helping with the situation.

When Sakura arrives, Itachi shoots out of his chair. Her hair is braided today, and she’s wearing a white summer dress and pink flats.

“Hi.”

She tries for a smile. “Hi.”

“Come, sit.” He gestures to the only chair between Sai and Temari.

Sakura sits, and fidgets uncomfortably under Temari’s amused stare.

“That’s Temari,” Itachi introduces. “You know Shika already. Temari, this is Sakura.”

Temari grins at her. “Hello. Nice to finally meet you.”

Sakura’s cheeks warm slightly. “Hi. You, too.”

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” Temari giggles.

“I do,” Sakura denies. “Sabaku Temari. Theatre actress.”

“Yes,” Temari says, surprised. She throws a quick glance at Itachi. “Have you been to my shows?”

And then Sakura is avoiding Itachi entirely. “Yeah. Once. When I first came to the city.”

Temari hmms thoughtfully. “You mean A Midsummer Night’s Dream? That was the last one I did.”

“Yes.”

“You’re into theatre, then?”

Sakura shakes her head, biting her lips. “No. Not really.”

A slow smirk crawls up Temari’s lips. “You thought Itachi was in it?”

Itachi is staring at Sakura so hard, it’s a wonder she is resolutely _not_ looking in his direction.

“Yes,” Sakura admits. “I didn’t read the details. I’d just arrived the same afternoon, and ended up buying the ticket in the evening.”

“The show was booked weeks ago,” Temari raises her eyebrows.

“I … uh …” Now, Sakura quickly looks at him and away. “I convinced this woman to sell it to me, a few minutes before the show started.”

“Itachi doesn’t perform on all the shows with me,” Temari continues unapologetically.

“I know.”

“Sakura,” Itachi suddenly says, and she turns to him. “We’ve ordered more beer. Do you want some food with it?”

She looks genuinely relieved. “Yes, please.”

Sai hands her the menu card, and she disappears behind it instantly.

Itachi glares at Temari, and she blows him a kiss in return.

Turns out, Sakura travelled across almost the whole country in the last few years. After she left the city on that fateful Christmas night, she went to the nearest town in search of a job, where she met Granny Chiyo. The old woman was running the town’s only tavern, and Sakura would sleep on the kitchen floor during the nights. Over months, Granny Chiyo helped her with making her documents and schooled her for the high school examination.

When Granny Chiyo passed away two years later, Sakura set out on the road at the age of nineteen. She happened to meet Hokushin –

“The flute guy?” Sai interrupts, astonished.

Sakura grins. “Yes! Haku had joined him, too, by then.”

So Hokushin trained her in singing, and Haku learned the shamisen. Sakura stuck with the two of them for three years, when Haku parted, saying that he wanted to explore spirituality. Then it was only her and Hokushin for almost five months, and Hokunshin fell in love with a woman –

“The daughter of the man who’d hired us,” Sakura laughs. “He was _not_ happy, I have to say.”

Then she was alone, after convincing Hokushin that she’d continue and he doesn’t need to worry.

And Itachi feels riveted all over again, listening to her stories, the way he’d felt when she first told him that she was a reindeer walker and an extra child in a zombie movie.

When Sakura asks Itachi what he’s been up to, he tells her what everyone knows, anyway. That he graduated school, then college, then founded his company. He avoids saying the company’s name at all costs, and he knows that she knows, because her eyes turn soft around the edges, and she doesn’t push for details.

“What’s the plan now?” Sai asks her, an hour and a half after her arrival. “Are you still on the road?”

Sakura shakes her head. “No,” she sighs, gulps more beer. “I’ve had my fill.”

“You’re singing at a pub now, right?” Itachi queries. “Which one is it?”

And she smirks, as if almost on reflex, teasing, “Why, Pretty Boy? Wanna come see me perform?”

Itachi’s face sobers up instantly. Realising, Sakura becomes suddenly poker-faced, too.

“Yes,” Sai says, sensing the tension between them. “We’d all love to. When is your next gig?”

Sakura turns to him with visible relief. “Tomorrow night.”

“Great! We’ll all be there. I’ll tell the others, too.”

“Let’s head back,” Temari announces. “Sai, I think we indulged you enough today.”

Sai snorts. “Fine, fine.”

They split the bill, and Itachi insists on paying for Sakura since she paid for breakfast, and Sakura begins to bid her goodbyes when Shikamaru stops her.

“We’re going over at Itachi’s. Come on.”

Sakura bites her lip uncertainly. Sai hooks his arm with her. “You’re coming.”

During their walk back, Itachi sticks with Temari the same way Sakura sticks with Sai. Shikamaru silently laughs at him throughout.

It’s six in the evening when they return to his apartment. Itachi realises that this is the first time Sakura will be seeing his place, any place that he’s ever lived at, and the nervousness settles in as if on cue.

Itachi bought the one-bedroom flat with the money he received after selling his shares, deciding that Sasuke would appreciate his own space – he’d just asked out Naruto at that time, when the blonde returned to Konoha, and Sasuke decided he’s waited long enough.

The front door opens in the small foyer, and a passage branches off to the left towards the kitchen and – further inside – a circular lobby, one door leading to the ensuite bedroom, another to the study room which he’s planning on redecorating into a dance studio – he can hardly keep avoiding Sasuke’s apartment due to cringe-worthy accidental shenanigans – and another one to the utility section. The dining area is tucked in the large living room. An open deck stands to the right.

Temari and Shikamaru hog one of the couch pieces, and Sai complains loudly, before purposefully squeezing between them. Sakura hovers uncertainly but ends up sitting on the armchair. Itachi goes to the kitchen to drink some water.

When he returns, Sai tells him to play some music.

“Sai, your demands are getting out of hand,” Shikamaru tells him.

“Your point, being?”

“My point being fuck off.”

Sai tackles him into the arm of the couch.

“Hey,” Temari says loudly from Sai’s other side. “Hands off my man!”

“Your man is a dickhead,” Sai tells her.

“Your point, being?”

Sakura suddenly giggles, exchanging an amused look with Itachi, who is standing near the music system, phone in hand. He clicks on _Unbreakable_ by Jamie Scott, and sits on the floor by Sakura’s feet, because the other three are still flailing too much. Itachi would prefer not to be accidentally kicked, thank you very much.

“Nice house,” Sakura comments.

Itachi tilts his neck to look up at her. “Thanks. Where are you staying, by the way?”

“Down by Moko street. I rented out a studio apartment there.”

“That’s not far from here,” he observes.

“No.”

“And where’s the pub that you sing at?”

Sakura chews on her lip a little. “Danubi district. It’s called Evening Elephant.”

“Is it a big place?”

She laughs softly. “Nah. This man called Gai owns it, and he’s this insane ball of energy. He runs the place with his nephew, Lee. It’s a small establishment – the kind where you have more regulars than new customers.”

“Hey, guys,” Temari calls out. “You want to play dumb charades?”

Itachi sighs. “I really, _really_ don’t.”

“I don’t mind,” Sakura says.

“Great,” Temari claps her hands. “Girls versus boys. Itachi – be the referee.”

“Perfect,” he mutters under his breath.

Sakura and Temari win by a wide margin, mostly because there is no understanding between Shikamaru and Sai whatsoever.

“You’re horrible at this,” Sai complains. “Your girlfriend is an actress! And you’re like a freaking brick.”

“You’re too stupid,” Shikamaru retorts.

“Please,” Sai rolls his eyes. “Just admit it, you suck at this game.”

“Losers, losers, losers,” Temari continues to sing in the background.

“Shut it,” Sai snaps at her. “Give me Sakura. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

“Deal.”

Temari and Shikamaru win, but at least the difference in scores is not an embarrassment.

Sai is groaning loudly, burying his face in his palms. Sakura is laughing behind her hands, amused and sympathetic, stuttering out insincere sorrys at Sai’s fate.

“I’m leaving,” he announces, getting to his feet. “I’m going to go home, take a nice shower, nap like a baby, and see your ugly faces in the morning at office.”

“We’re still your bosses,” Shikamaru reminds him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sai waves his hand dismissively, as if the word boss doesn’t mean shit in his dictionary. “And Sakura, I’ll see you tomorrow evening. Send me the location. Bye.”

Temari calls out one last _loser_ before the door shuts, and continues to laugh.

“Okay, we should head back, too,” Shikamaru drags her up. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

And then all of a sudden, Itachi finds himself alone in his house with Sakura at seven-thirty in the evening.

He clears his throat in the silence. “You want to have dinner?”

She nods slowly. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Come on,” he says and stands up. “Let’s heat something up.”

As they do it, Sakura asks about Naruto, Sasuke, and the others.

“They’re doing well,” Itachi answers, leaving out the detail of their dating life. “Hinata moved in with her boyfriend, Kiba. She’s in the marketing team of Byakugan, and Kiba is a vet. He’s Sasuke’s college friend. Zetsu lives somewhere in the mountains. We lost touch quite a while ago. Suigetsu works with Naruto now, and stays with his girlfriend, Karin –”

“I thought Hinata and Suigetsu liked each other?” Sakura interrupts with a frown.

“Yeaaaah, no. I mean, Hinata liked him, but he didn’t return her feelings.”

“That’s surprising,” Sakura remarks.

“Yeah? Suigetsu never showed any interest, though, did he?”

“I think he did,” Sakura tells him. “It wasn’t very grand, but I definitely remember him being interested in her.”

“That’s odd,” Itachi frowns.

“Well, what about Konan? What is she up to?”

“She’s working under her father. She was married to Yahiko, but they recently got a divorce.”

“Shit. Why? What happened?”

“It was an arranged marriage,” Itachi explains. “Which is fine, you know. But they faced a lot of issues as a married couple. And then Yahiko cheated on her with Nagato.”

“ _What?”_

And Itachi realises, in a given moment, that even though he’s never bothered to _gossip_ exactly, Sakura is watching him so expectantly that he wants to spill everything to her.

“Yeah,” he nods, engaged in the sharing of stories, himself. “It was kind of ugly. So Konan doesn’t speak with them. And the thing is, it’s not as though Yahiko and Nagato like each other – as in romantically. They went out drinking one night, and ended up sleeping together.”

“Shit,” Sakura breathes out, genuinely worried.

“I know.”

“What about Kisame?”

Itachi hesitates. “We don’t talk. And he’s married to Izumi now.”

Sakura stares at him blankly. Then she suddenly snorts. “Sorry!” But it seems as if she can’t control herself because she bursts out laughing.

And then Itachi is laughing too, because the whole situation seems rather absurd now, and he can’t figure out why he hadn’t been able to see the humour in it before.

“How did _that_ happen?” Sakura asks him, giggling uncontrollably.

He shrugs, smirking. “Oh, you know. I suppose they’re more like each other than we realised.”

“Show me your phone,” she says, extending her hand.

“What for?” he inquires, already pulling out the device from his pocket, anyway, and handing it to her.

“I want to see them. Does this have a password?”

“No. Why do you want to see them?”

Sakura shushes him, concentrating on manoeuvring through his various apps. He sighs and snatches it back.

“Hey!”

“Hang on,” he rolls his eyes.

He grabs two plates from the cupboards, two forks from the stand, and tells Sakura to scoop out dinner for them. They sit on the couch side-by-side with plates on their knees, despite his dining table being right there, and Itachi brings out his phone again.

“Here,” he says, but doesn’t give it to her. He’s opened Kisame’s social media feed. Sakura leans in to look at the screen properly. He doesn’t admit it, but he suddenly feels curious himself.

They scroll through his posts together, with Sakura insisting on reading each and every caption, and pointing out ridiculous details such as the shape of Kisame’s tie’s knot, or Izumi’s variety of strange additions to her dresses.

“Wow,” Sakura says at one point. “They do seem in love. That’s such a weird thought.”

He studies her face. “Why is it weird?”

“I mean,” she says, with eyes still trained on Itachi’s phone screen, scrolling further and further down. “I remember how she was quite terrible to you and Sasuke. And Naruto, too. With Kisame being your friend, it feels odd that he’d overlook all of that.”

“Kisame shared many of her opinions from the start,” Itachi explains. “And Izumi needed help when she was dating me. When we parted ways for college, Kisame kept in touch with her. I’m not sure what exactly happened there, but maybe she got the help somehow.”

“Maybe,” Sakura concedes. “Did she say anything to you?”

And Itachi realises that he never told her anything about Izumi’s video all those years ago.

He snorts. “A lot of things.”

“Really?” Sakura asks.

“Yeah.”

“Like what? What happened?”

“Well,” Itachi begins, sighing. “The new school that she moved to, she tried to kind of begin a revolution of some sort. She wanted people to hate me. And they did. She succeeded up to some extent; but then Naruto stepped in. You know how he is. Never shuts up.”

As he explains, he is distinctly aware of every word that had ripped itself out of Sakura in the stillness of the night, when she’d said, _some other Uchiha Itachi got mad and I paid for it?_ He doesn’t know what to make of this situation because he feels that he should address that point, talk it out, but he’s _just_ met Sakura and he can’t begin to bear the thought of –

And maybe she feels the same because Sakura chuckles, side-stepping it neatly. “What did he do?”

“What he always does. Gave a long ass speech. He made a video in reaction to her video, which went viral, too. He doesn’t say anything mean to her in it, but he kind of points out her convoluted idea of feminism. Actually, his video garnered more popularity than hers did.”

“Is it still there? Can I see it?”

“Yeah, it might be.”

Itachi takes the phone from her, doesn’t remember when he’d given it in the first place, and searches for the video. He has to keep an eye out for it among the countless other videos that Naruto has, but he finds it eventually.

Sakura watches it with utter fascination, and when it ends, she continues to watch Naruto’s other videos. Itachi eats his food, doesn’t remark. After she’s had her fill of that, she insists upon stalking the rest of his old group with the same amount of enthusiasm and determination.

“Don’t you have a social media page?” Itachi asks at one point, when she’s scrolling through Suigetsu’s photos and commenting on how handsome he looks now.

“No. Do you?”

And Itachi stares at her. “Obviously, I do! How else do you think you’re getting access to all these people?”

“I don’t know,” Sakura defends. “I never bothered with it. I didn’t even keep a phone with me until I came back to the city.”

Itachi mentally mourns the loss of all her adventures that the world will never know about.

“But you used to have a phone,” he insists.

“Which I only used for texting,” she retorts. “I didn’t use anything else in it. And I returned it to Obito.”

“I’ll teach you. We’ll open your account.”

“Do I have to?” she asks warily.

“Yes. You can even advertise the pub through it. I’m sure your boss will appreciate.”

So they set up her account. Itachi suggests naming it Banana Flyer, and she hits his arm.

“Don’t hit me,” he tsks with irritation. “You know I don’t like it.”

“Then don’t say stupid stuff,” she advices, and Itachi feels a rush of affection for Kakashi suddenly. Now that he thinks about it, it’s almost strange not to have Kakashi here when he’s with Sakura. He’d never realised how much of a solid presence the man used to be. He silently vows to meet him before Kakashi has to return for duty.

“Whatever. What name do you want to put?”

“Haruno Sakura,” she states with a serious face.

He rolls his eyes. “Come up with something creative.”

“What’s yours?” she challenges.

Itachi tells her.

“Okay, that’s not too bad.”

They eventually decide on one almost fifteen minutes later.

“Now, put a small description. And a photo. Do you have any good photos?”

Sakura opens up her gallery. “I just have this, from when I clicked for the job application.”

It’s a simple one wherein she’s looking in the camera, hair tucked behind both ears, and a small cold smile – the fake kind people usually use for such things.

“You need a better one.”

She rolls her eyes when he insists upon clicking one right then and there.

“No. I’ll just click one later.”

“Oh, wait,” Itachi suddenly remembers. “Sai clicked many photos today. I’ll ask him to send them.”

As Itachi sends a text message to Sai, Sakura types out a small description for her page. Sai replies instantly.

**Can’t sleep without seeing her face? XD**

_Shut up. Just send._

**Yeah, yeah.**

A stream of photos pop in the chat box. Itachi eventually picks one of Sakura and Sai, crops Sai out of it, and sends it to her.

“Okay, send me a request now.”

She does. “Oh, look, you’re my first follower!”

As he watches her excitement, Itachi realises that he’s created a monster. He has no doubt that Sakura is going to be very taken with social media in no time. She ends up sending requests to Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Temari, Konan, Sai, Suigetsu, Hinata, Yahiko, Nagato, complains about Zetsu not being there, and then Kisame and Izumi, as well.

“Why them?” Itachi gives her a disgusted look.

“You follow them,” she reminds him.

“That’s from high school years,” he says. “I just never bothered with un-following.”

“Whatever,” she dismisses. “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

“They’re not our enemies, Sakura.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes. It means that you’re an idiot.”

“Why, thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Anytime, Coco.”

They look at each other.

Sakura’s phone suddenly beeps, and they jump out of their skin. Itachi has never been so grateful for technological advancement in humankind before.

“Oh, look!” she grins. “Suigetsu accepted it already. And he’s sent me a message.”

“You can even search for Haku,” Itachi suggests.

“Oh my God, that’s right. Hang on, I’m going to look for Arashi, Hokushin, and Uroko, too.”

“Deidara and everyone else has an account.”

“Wow, this is rather overwhelming,” she laughs. “This whole social media thing is pretty cool.”

“Yeah,” Itachi says carefully. “Not much. It depends on how you use it. I’m going to wash the plates. Do you want coffee or something?”

“Yeah, okay,” she says in a distracted voice.

Itachi stares, shakes his head, sighs, and grabs the utensils. Once he’s in the kitchen, he finally lets out a long exhale, trying to relax his muscles of the sudden tension. As he rinses the plates and forks and pots and pans, he thinks about how _easy_ it still is to simply talk with her, as though the past several years never happened. He makes coffee for the two of them, and carries the mugs to where she is still engrossed in her phone.

“Hey,” she says absently. “How do I post a story?”

Itachi shows her the icon. She holds the phone in front of her face and clicks a photo.

“ _Cool_ ,” she grins. “Come here. Let’s click one together.”

So Itachi scoots closer to fit in the frame. They click a generic, smiling one.

“I just realised that we never clicked any photos together,” she says, adding the one she just clicked to her social media story. “This is the first.”

“It’ll disappear in 24 hours,” he tells her.

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah. Click one in the regular camera, or download the story. Then it stays in the photo gallery.”

“Oh, okay. Come here. I’ll click in regular camera.”

So he scoots over again. She clicks at least five photos.

“Your coffee is getting cold.”

“Shit. Right.”

She keeps her phone away and sips at her coffee. Itachi asks for more travel stories, and she indulges readily, telling him about the various gigs she did with Hokushin and Haku, about Granny Chiyo’s goat who was called Kankuro and who hated Sakura with a passion, about Hokushin’s lover, about how she once ate a questionable meal that tasted weirdly like blood, about the sunsets from southern towns and which are unbelievably gorgeous, about how the sands of Suna gave her blisters, about how the rice fields in Oto look like cotton, about how she once met a woman who mistook her for a celebrity, about the time when she was chased by an entire herd of sheep because she accidentally kicked one of them, about how she met a pair of twins – Ukon and Sakon – on the bus one day and who were probably murderers –

And Itachi listens to her, long after the coffee finishes, long into the night, and wonders whether Sakura thought of him through all the years, the way he did, and whether she missed him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Itachi is reading up on documents for an upcoming proposal when his phone begins to ring. He finishes reading the sentence before glancing at the device. His screen is lit up with one of Sakura’s photos that Sai had sent him the previous night with _Banana Flyer_ written on top.

He checks the time. 11.44 AM.

“Hey,” he says into the phone, putting his finger where he’d left off reading.

“What am I doing in your bed?” she asks directly.

He grins. “You fell asleep on the couch, so I moved you to the bed before leaving for work.”

Which is a big fat lie, because Itachi moved her to bed as soon as she fell asleep and made camp on the couch, himself. Not that he got much sleep, mostly because he spent half the time staring at his ceiling, trying to grasp that Sakura is not only back in the city, but also _sleeping in his bed_. Albeit unknowingly – but it still counts.

Itachi’s office phone beeps.

“Hang on. Yeah, Tobi?”

“Your 11.45 is here.”

“Okay, send him in.”

The phone cuts.

“Sakura?”

“Still here.”

“Feel free to raid the pantry, yeah?”

A pause. “Okay. And you should have just woken me up. It’s not that long of a walk to my place.”

_Does she not use cabs or something?_

There’s a knock on his cabin door.

“Come in,” he says, getting to his feet. A man in a stuffy business suit appears with a briefcase. Itachi holds up one finger and says in his mobile, “Sakura?”

“Still here,” she says and he can hear the smile in her voice.

“It didn’t make sense to wake you up. Oh, and I got an extra toothbrush, just in case. It’s on the side-table. Do you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I have to go now. You can sleep some more, if you want. Kaya will let herself in.”

Pause. “Who’s Kaya?”

Itachi gestures the man to take a seat. “My house-help.”

“You have a maid?”

“Obviously,” he replies, confused at her question. How else is he supposed to keep the place hygienic? How else is he supposed to manage household chores without help? He’s not Superman.

“You trust someone to enter your house when you’re not home?” Sakura asks, sounding confused herself.

“Sakura, there are security cameras in the apartment building. I’ll know if there’s a theft. Besides, I do trust Kaya. She’s very professional.”

“Right. Of course.”

“I’ll see you in the evening, okay? I really have to go now.”

“Don’t miss it.”

Itachi grins again. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

* * *

He ends up missing it.

He’s in the middle of wrapping up his work when Shikamaru comes in to tell him that they need to go for a dinner meeting. Itachi asks to reschedule.

“We can’t. The guy is flying out later tonight, and we can’t miss it. We need him.”

Itachi sighs, knowing it to be true. “Alright.”

So he accompanies Shikamaru to a fancy five star restaurant, as his colleagues decide to have pre-dinner drinks before going over to the Evening Elephant.

Itachi’s dinner meeting turns into post-dinner drinks because the man seems to have decided not to go easy on them. By the time he becomes free, it’s already 1.30 AM. Sakura had mentioned that her shift is from 10 PM to 2 AM. And he’s had to accompany the man all the way to the airport, which means that there is no way, absolutely no way, that he can ever reach the pub within half an hour.

Itachi drops off Shikamaru at his apartment. It’s past 2 now, and the streets are empty and the world is silent. He brings out his phone, the car engine is still on, clutches it in his hands for a bit, throws it on the passenger seat, and begins to drive.

It takes him ten minutes to reach Danubi district without the traffic, and he googles the pub’s location when he’s in the area. There are a few last stragglers outside the main doors. Sakura was right. It’s a pretty small place, squeezed between two other establishments on either side of it. The neon red sign reads _Evening Elephant_ , and it hurts his eyes a little to stare at it.

The bouncer doesn’t let him in.

“It’s closed.”

“I know that,” Itachi says in an irritated voice. “I’m not a customer.”

“Then why should I let you in?”

“I just want to meet someone,” he snaps. “She works here.”

“Then wait,” the bouncer says firmly. “The staff members will be out soon.”

Itachi holds back a groan. He’s mentally and physically tired, and all he wanted was to listen to Sakura sing. He backs away from the muscled man and drops down on the edge of the pavement, not caring that he’s dressed in a two-piece black suit, facing the street, legs stretched out before him. And waits.

It’s almost fifteen minutes later when he hears his name being called.

“Itachi?”

He turns his head. Sakura is approaching him wearing a long red dress, a black shawl draped over her shoulders, red lips, and hair in a high bun, a black sling dangling in her hand. She lowers herself on the pavement beside him as if this is an everyday occurrence in her life. As if men in expensive business suits sit on the side of empty streets, hoping to catch her before she leaves for the night.

“Hi.”

Sakura smiles. “What are you doing here so late?”

“I missed your performance,” he says instead. “How did it go?”

“It was alright, I think. The others left around midnight.”

“Right.”

They look at each other.

“Come on,” she says, getting to her feet.

“Where?” he asks, standing up, anyway.

She removes her heels and carries them in one hand. “Let’s take a walk.”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

Pause. “Okay.”

They start walking in a random direction. Itachi stuffs both his hands in pockets, strolling languidly under the streetlights, matching his pace with hers.

“Kaya seems nice,” Sakura remarks lightly.

Itachi chuckles. “Did she tell you about her two kids? She loves talking about them.”

Sakura laughs. “Yeah. Apparently, Ashitaba used her lipstick to paint his face, and Komichi suggested wrapping toilet paper around his head to hide it from her.”

“You should listen to her husband’s stories,” Itachi says with amusement. “He’s all about building trains in the backyard.”

“She did mention it a little.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They walk some more in silence.

“It’s alright that you couldn’t make it,” Sakura breaks the silence.

“I know. I just had a hectic day,” he says tiredly. “And I didn’t feel like going home.”

“What do you feel like doing?”

“Honestly? I was really looking forward to hearing you sing. I haven’t done that in … in a long time.”

She suddenly beams, grabs his elbow, tugging him to a nearby street bench. “Then you shall have it, Your Majesty.”

“What are you doing?” Itachi asks as he feels himself being dumped on the bench.

A street lamp is directly falling on him, and the streets are mostly vacant with an occasional vehicle passing by. Sakura backtracks a few steps, and clears her throat pointedly.

“You came for the show, and you will get it,” she says, putting up one fist under her chin, as though holding onto a mike. “Tell me, what do you want to hear?”

And Itachi stares, warmth blooming from his chest, rushing through his whole body.

“You’re really going to sing? Here? Now?”

She shrugs coolly. “Why not? You want to hear me sing, don’t you?”

“Well, yes.”

“Do you have any recommendations then, Pretty Boy?”

He blinks. “Um… no.”

She laughs. “Okay. How about … Adele?”

“Okay.”

She throws him another smile, begins to sing –

And Itachi watches her with amazement, thoroughly enchanted, because Sakura doesn’t sing in broken notes anymore. Her voice has matured, and her words form beautiful music in the stillness of the night.

_You look like a movie_

_You sound like a song_

_My God, this reminds me_

_Of when we were young_

When she ends with the chorus, she’s smiling nervously as if she’s expecting him to point out where she went wrong, the way he did when they used to practice in her motel room. When Itachi would make her do all sorts of mouth and breathing exercises because that’s what Hashirama had taught him. When Itachi would imagine his fingers flying across black and white keys in perfect rhythm as she sang, and Sai would sit in the corner, listening quietly.

Sakura begins to lose her smile. “Was it not good?”

“It was …” Itachi replies in strained voice. “It was good. Very good. Sakura, that was … can you sing one more song, please?”

Even at this distance, he thinks that maybe her cheeks warm up but he can’t be sure. She thinks for a few moments, and then sings _All Through The Night,_ and Itachi isn’t done yet, he asks for one more, and she complies –

After four songs, Itachi finally stops himself from requesting another. It’s almost 3 now, and he should take her home. He has work in the morning, himself. He gets to his feet, and offers to drop her off at her flat.

“How do you usually travel?”

“Bus.”

They walk back to his parked car, and Sakura keeps up a constant stream of how Sai accidentally spat beer on Sasori, how Deidara was approached by a burly man and he freaked out, how Lee took an instant liking to everyone, and how Gai is happy that she’s on social media now.

“Mei took some videos when I was performing,” she says as Itachi unlocks the car. “I think I’ll put those up.”

“See? I told you.”

They buckle in the seatbelts.

“This is strange,” she remarks with a chuckle. “You driving.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Sakura asks him about his work, about why his day was hectic, and Itachi tells her of the meeting, and how the man drilled them for hours over the tiniest details.

“I like Shikamaru,” she says. “He’s pretty cool. And charming, in a strange way.”

“Can you stop hitting on all the guys for once?” he laughs incredulously.

“It’s not as though he’s going to care,” she defends.

Sakura gives him the directions to her apartment building. It looks quite old from the outside. She unbuckles her seatbelt.

“Thanks for the lift,” she says.

“No problem.”

She doesn’t leave.

“Thanks for the personalized show.”

She chuckles. “No problem.”

Silence. Itachi gulps, not knowing what to do in the sudden tension.

“Itachi,” she begins seriously, haltingly. “I meant what I said.”

“Which part?”

“About … about being friends.”

“I know that,” he says.

“It’s just,” she fidgets, eyes darting around them, sighing. “I know that … I just, I do appreciate this. I want you to know it.” Then she stares at her lap. “I don’t want to take you for granted. To be honest, my decision to come back was, at best, on a whim. I’m still coming to terms with it myself. And back then, you really helped me. You had no reason to, but you did it anyway. I never said thank you.”

Itachi wants to interrupt, but he doesn’t. He watches her quietly.

“So, here it is,” she says, green eyes locking on his, finally, steadily. “Thank you. For everything.”

Itachi swallows, his heart stuttering. “It’s … It’s alright. I didn’t mind.”

She smiles sadly, and he wonders whether she’s thinking back to those times, when he used to fall asleep holding her, and she would wake him up at the ass crack of dawn to remind him that he has school.

Itachi, himself, has many things to be thankful for when it comes to Sakura, and he never got the chance to tell her that. He had hoped that his company would do that on his behalf, wherever she might be at that time.

Sakura leans forward and places a soft kiss on his cheek, and then hurries out the door, closing it shut behind her before he has the time to react in any way.

* * *

Tuesday morning

Itachi wakes up to a text from Banana Flyer.

**Breakfast?**

_Okay. 7.30 Starbucks?_

**My treat.**

Sakura is waiting for him when he reaches.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” he asks as he takes a seat across from her. Itachi is feeling pretty tired himself. He only got three hours of rest, at most.

She’s wearing a blue top and black pants, hair tied in a ponytail. “I can sleep later. What do you want to order?”

Itachi orders a sandwich and coffee again, and she does the same.

* * *

Later in the day, when Shikamaru and Sai enter his cabin for lunch break –

“Itachi,” Sai says with uncharacteristic seriousness. “You need to hear her. She’s gotten so much better from back then.”

“I know,” Itachi replies, gathering up the last of the papers, glancing at the monitor screen simultaneously to finish reading the e-mail. “I met her.”

Silence.

“Hey, Shika?” Itachi continues absently. “Why isn’t Onoki ready to meet us? Tobi has sent him weekly e-mails and Kurotsuchi keeps blowing us off.”

* * *

Wednesday morning

**Breakfast?**

And Itachi laughs, typing out, _Okay. 7.30 Starbucks._

As expected, she replies with **My treat.**

She’s wearing the grey dress again that day.

They talk about his work, her work, about Sasuke, and about Naruto. Sakura asks him more about his life, his college days, and Itachi indulges readily, telling her about the time when he became friends with Shikamaru on second day of college classes, about the time Akamaru dirtied his swimming pool, about the time when Temari taught him everything she knows about theatre and stage-acting, about the time when Kiba hit on Sasuke during house-warming party, about the time when –

He side-steps his relationship with Samui. He side-steps the meltdown during the Christmas gala. He side-steps his YAGP performance. He side-steps the fact that he doesn’t play the piano anymore, and the time when Sasuke had found him once, on the balcony of their apartment, rocking back and forth, arms holding his knees in a vice-grip, crying softly because he’d seen a young girl with pink hair earlier in a café.

* * *

Later in the day, Temari visits Shikamaru for lunch.

As expected, she drags Sai and Itachi to a nearby restaurant along with them. The place is filled with employees of various companies from the area, and they struggle to find a decent table.

“So,” Temari begins once they’ve ordered. “Shall we invite Sakura?”

“She must be sleeping,” Itachi replies. “Let her.”

“How do you know that?” Temari asks innocently.

Itachi narrows his eyes at her in return. “I met her.”

“Oh yeah?”

“We’re friends now,” Itachi reminds her pointedly.

Sai is watching a nearby table intently, and Shikamaru sips at his water delicately.

* * *

Thursday morning

Itachi rolls over to shut his alarm clock, and grabs his phone. There’s no text. Not from her, at least. He pauses in the middle of sitting up, feeling disappointed, and wonders whether he should text her, before deciding against it. She could be tired. Maybe a late shift. So he goes for his morning jog as per routine, AirPods stuck in ears, resisting the urge to check his phone every few minutes.

His doorbells rings at ten past seven when he gets out of the shower. Assuming it’s his neighbour asking for milk again, he doesn’t bother with wearing a shirt, only pulls on his pants quickly and ties his hair in a messy bun, and opens the door –

Sakura is staring at him, eyebrows raised, donned in a short denim skirt and grey T-shirt.

“What are you doing here?” he asks blankly. “How did you get inside the building?”

“I have my ways,” she says cryptically. “And I figured you can’t exactly eat outside meals every day – ballet and theatre and whatnot. So I brought ingredients for French toast,” she holds up the grocery bag in demonstration. “Unless … you don’t want to? Or, you know, if you have company over?”

It takes him a few moments to realise what she’s implying, and when he does, he suddenly feels self-conscious in his half-naked form.

“No!” he mutters, his ears burning. “I just got out of the shower. I thought you were my neighbour asking for milk.”

“Do you typically answer your door in this fashion?” she asks with amusement.

He tsks. “She’s at least fifty years old, Sakura.” Not that she hasn’t tried, but that’s neither here nor there.

“ _Sure_. Are you going to let me in or not?”

Sakura follows as Itachi retreats to the bathroom, stands in front of the large mirror, blow-dries his hair, opens the sleek cabinet under the sink, and begins to massage a lotion into his face and hands.

She’s sitting on the edge of the bathtub, trying not to laugh.

After he’s done with his daily skincare routine, he holds the bottle in her direction. “Want some?”

* * *

Itachi offers dropping her at the flat when they leave his apartment, but she refuses, saying she can take the bus or walk.

“It’s not that far. And I don’t want you to be late.”

Itachi checks his watch. He _would_ be a little later than usual. “I won’t be. Come on.”

He supposes cabs could be a little expensive.

* * *

Later in the day, Itachi is lounging in one of the chairs, as Tobi drones _on and on_ about the meeting he has to attend to after this, reminding him of the bullet points, names of the individuals and their positions in the company, which ones to avoid –

“Call the decorator for the apartment, will you?” Itachi cuts in thoughtfully. “How long do you think it’ll take to get the job done?”

Tobi takes a steadying breath, as if Itachi’s query is personally offensive when he’d been telling the man something rather important. “I’ll check.”

Sasuke arrives first with Kimimaro in tow and his personal assistant, Honoka, and Naruto enters the scene half an hour later with Fuu and his personal bodyguard, Asuma.

“You’re late,” Sasuke tells him.

Naruto rubs the back of his neck, laughing nervously at Sasuke’s tone. “Sorry. You know how it can get, what with answering all –”

The photographer calls for their attention, and Itachi tells the two to get it together.

“Look who’s talking,” Naruto sniggers.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Naruto dismisses, and Sasuke is busy being powdered by the make-up artist.

They’re all dressed in “power suits” for the photoshoot. Itachi has done many with Sasuke, and Naruto is called upon at times to show his collaboration with Coco Shelters. Halfway through, the photographer recommends Naruto and Sasuke to pose in _suggestive_ fashion, and ends up getting fired by Fuu – Naruto’s manager.

The new photographer sticks to the frames that were in the agreement, and Itachi tries not to sigh throughout.

* * *

Friday morning

“Is this going to be a thing now?” he asks, moving aside to let her in. He’s thankfully dressed for the day this time around.

Sakura deposits two Styrofoam cups on the dining table. “Yes. And look what I bought!”

“Coffee?” he raises his eyebrows.

“Well, yes, but it’s _fancy_ coffee. It’s some weird flavour-of-the-day thing.”

“What if I wasn’t home?” Itachi questions, taking a seat at the table.

Sakura sits across him. “Why wouldn’t you be home?” she asks in a strange voice.

Itachi opens the lid of his cup. “Breakfast meetings?”

“Right. Of course.”

The coffee tastes terrible, and they end up making regular coffee along with oat crepes.

* * *

Saturday morning

Itachi groans loudly. “No. Absolutely not.”

Sakura’s eyes narrow.

“Sakura,” he says incredulously. “I’m going back to sleep. I don’t have work today, and if you remember, I got home very late last night.”

In fact, he’d finally visited her to see her performance with Shikamaru, Temari, and Sai, since they didn’t have drama practice that evening. The inside of the pub reminded Itachi of the 70s movies with cheap chandeliers, small stage, round tables, a bar against one of the wall, and customers drinking and chattering while enjoying the live music.

Sakura was wearing a pale pink long skirt and white glitter cropped top. Itachi thought that the piano player and bass guitarist were trying a little too hard to get her attention during the break. Sai waited with him until 2 AM, and then they dropped her off at her flat.

At one point, Lee had come to join them because he recognized Sai. Itachi had tried listening to his inane rant about the pub, but he could hardly be blamed for being distracted.

Now, she’s sighing. “But I bought all this stuff!”

“That’s not going to go to waste,” he continues with disbelief. “Store it in the fridge. And we’ll cook something _after_ I wake up. Besides, you can stop buying all these things. I have a large pantry, you know.”

Without waiting for her reply, he spins on his heels and marches to his bedroom. He’s lying on his side, the comforter around his waist, when he feels her hands tugging on his elbow incessantly.

“What am I supposed to do?” she complains. “You’re the host. Entertain me.”

“Wait for some time and chat with Kaya when she comes,” Itachi suggests dryly.

“Itachi, get up.”

“No.”

“You know, I haven’t slept, either!” she continues to pull at his arm.

Itachi sighs with annoyance and suddenly yanks her hand that’s clutching his elbow, and Sakura tumbles down on top of him, squeaking in surprise. He adjusts himself on the bed so that he’s spooning her, arms around her waist.

“Then sleep,” he says softly near her ear. She tenses. “I won’t do anything, I promise.”

She doesn’t respond, and she doesn’t pull away. Itachi smiles to himself when she places her arm above his.

* * *

Itachi wakes up before she does, and he has to admire her determination at wanting to have breakfasts together, despite having a late night job five times a week. He knows what she’s doing, and he appreciates it more than he can say. Sakura isn’t fluent with words, and neither is he for that matter, which is why they had always preferred to convey everything through actions. Granted, it was mostly sex, but they’d danced and sang and watched movies and held hands when Severus Snape was clutching Lily’s dead body to himself.

He takes a few minutes to relish in the fact that she’s here, breathing softly in his neck, arms wrapped around his waist tightly as if _he’s_ the one who might disappear.

Kaya must have arrived when they were sleeping, because Itachi finds a note stuck on the fridge scrawled in her penmanship.

_Food inside for both. Will vacuum tomorrow._

So Itachi gets ready for the day, trying to be as quiet as possible. When it’s time for him to leave for practice, she still hasn’t woken up. Itachi hunches down on the floor near her head.

“Sakura,” he shakes her lightly. “Sakura.”

She stirs, but doesn’t open her eyes. “What?”

“I have to go.”

“’kay. Bye.”

“There’s lunch. Heat it up later.”

“Cool. Bye.”

“Your dress has risen up.” It hasn’t.

“Great. Bye, liar.”

Itachi laughs softly, feeling a strong urge to _do something_ , but leaves quietly, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

“ _Dr. Treves, that lady was wonderful! My mother smiled at me once, many years ago, but no women smile at me now. But this lady smiled at me too, and she shook my hand! A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand!”_ he finishes tremulously, smiling slightly in amazement.

Temari enters the stage, going through her mute scenes with the man, as Itachi narrates the lines, reading them from his copy.

After practice, the director informs them that it’s time to announce the names, cast, and the date for the show. So Itachi types out on his social media account along with the others –

Temari suggests going for a cup of coffee, and they end up in a random nearby café. She is in the middle of discussing one of the scenes, wanting to suggest an improvisation, and wanting to know Itachi’s opinion, when a young couple approaches them, beaming and vibrating with excitement.

“I’m sorry, but are you Uchiha Itachi and Sabaku Temari?” the woman asks, clutching her boyfriend’s hand.

Temari smiles. “Yes.”

And the woman turns to the man, “See? I told you! I just saw the announcement earlier in the day, and wanted to come over to say hi. I really enjoy your shows! Could I have a photo, if that’s okay? Please?”

Itachi poses between Temari and the woman, smiling at himself on the phone screen.

* * *

When he returns home, Sakura has left. He checks the lunch that Kaya had made earlier that day, and is glad to see that the vessel is empty. He cooks another meal, puts on some music, and settles on his couch with phone in hand, scrolling through his social media feed, replying to the comments.

He eventually passes out at around eleven, only to wake up to his ringing phone in the middle of the night. He groans, checks the time on the bedside table, _2.18 AM_ , and grabs the device. It’s Banana Flyer.

“Sakura?” he asks, confused, still slightly disoriented.

“Itachi,” her pained voice comes through the speaker, and he shoots up in bed. “Can you come get me?”

His heart begins to hammer. “Yes,” he says, scrambling up. “Where are you?”

“Outside the pub.”

“I’m coming.”

He pulls on a T-shirt and quickly leaves with only his keys and phone. He reaches the pub in record time, and sees her sitting on the edge of the pavement, looking distressed.

Itachi gets out of his car and rushes to her, dropping down to his toes. “Coco? Are you okay? What happened?”

She’s wincing. “My feet,” she says.

“What? What happened to your feet?” He pulls up the hem of her long black dress to check her feet.

She rotates her ankles for him to see. “Shoe-bites! These stupid heels I bought yesterday,” she complains, motioning to the pair of black footwear on the sidewalk beside her.

Itachi stares at her.

“What?” she grumbles. “Help me up. I can barely walk.”

Speechless, he offers her his hand and pulls her up to her feet and she immediately winces again, cursing under her breath. They walk to his car slowly, and she settles in the passenger seat. When Itachi buckles in behind the wheel, he still hasn’t figured out what to say.

He drives to his own apartment.

“This is not my house.”

“I don’t care.”

He helps her out, into the elevator, out to his door, and then inside to his couch. He pulls out his phone to google what the hell to do for shoe-bites before remembering his own ballet scars, and then brings out his first-aid kit from the bathroom, blaming sleep deprivation for his slow brain. Meanwhile, Sakura keeps humming random tunes, interceded with titbits from work.

“So Lee said that we should have people from the audience come and play, or sing, rather than just us performing the whole time. And Gai agreed instantly. He always loves introducing all kinds of new ideas, and Lee is full of them.”

“Yeah?”

“And I think I should totally call Hokushin to the city. He told me two days ago that he got married, and I saw his posts. They’re really beautiful. He looks absolutely handsome in them.”

“Uh huh,” he supplies, taping her toes.

“Oh, did you know that Mei is dating now? I’m not sure how much you involve yourself in your colleagues’ personal lives, but he came to the pub with her the other day, and he’s simply too cute. And Mei was swooning over him the whole time! I can’t blame her, though. He has _dimples_ , Itachi!”

“That’s nice,” he says, applying cream to the blisters near the heel.

“I want to meet Naruto,” she says, sighing, sounding suddenly melancholic. “And Hinata and Suigetsu and everyone. Don’t get me wrong, Temari and Shikamaru are very nice people. But I really miss Naruto. Do you think he’ll want to meet with me?”

Itachi shuts the lid of the kit, and sits down on the floor properly, draping his arms over his knees.

“Didn’t you say he replied to your online text?”

“Yeah, he did,” she says, biting her lip. “But meeting is a very different thing, isn’t it?”

“Sasuke and Naruto are hosting a dinner tomorrow night – tonight, technically. You could come with me?”

She fidgets uncertainly. “No, that’s okay. I don’t want to intrude.”

“You won’t be intruding,” he insists, now really taken with the idea of going with her. He’s surprised he didn’t invite her sooner. “Come as my plus one.”

She smiles. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he confirms. “Do you have work?”

“Yes,” she nods.

“Okay, then I’ll drop you off after dinner.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she refuses. “I mean, I’d really like to accompany you. But I can take a bus to the pub. You don’t have to leave on my account.”

“We’ll see,” he settles. “Do you want me to make something for you? Are you hungry?”

She chuckles. “No. No, I’m fine.”

They look at each other.

Itachi swallows. “Okay, then,” he says in a rush, getting to his feet, and picking up the first-aid kit. Sakura watches him silently. “You can just crash here. I’ll get you some clothes. I think Temari left some. Let me check.”

He walks to his bathroom to place the box in the cabinet, and then retraces his steps to the walk-in closet, trying to appear cool and casual, as if this is not a big deal at all. He digs out Temari’s old shirt and a pair of shorts from when she’d slept over a few times. Sakura is still on the couch when he hands her the clothes.

“You can change in the closet. Can you walk now?”

“I’m okay.”

She goes past him in the direction of the bedroom, disappearing around the corner of the passageway. Itachi hovers in the living room, evening out his breaths. He paces round the couch a few times before going to his bedroom when he’s confident that enough time has passed. Sakura is under the covers already on one side. He walks to the other side and gets inside.

After five minutes of tense silence, he can’t take it anymore. He turns to face her – she’s staring at the ceiling – and tugs on her arm lightly.

“Come here.”

She bites her lip, doesn’t move right away, but scoots over eventually. Itachi pulls her close, and she tucks her head under his chin, arms draping over his torso.

“I won’t do anything,” he says softly in her ear, ignoring that _being friends_ definitely does not constitute this. “I promise.”

Sakura tightens her hold.

* * *

When he wakes up on Sunday morning, Sakura has left. He checks the time, _8.45 AM_ , before grabbing his phone as per habit. There is a stream of texts waiting for him.

From Sasuke –

**Seven tonight.**

From Naruto –

**Six thirty. Sas believes everyone is punctual in life like his corporate mojo.**

From Temari –

**Practice at 1. I think I will suggest the changes. Back me up, will ya?**

From Shisui –

**Sasuke is becoming more and more Uchiha by the day.**

Itachi snorts, finding it strange that Naruto is the one shaping Sasuke into an “Uchiha”. But Shisui is right: Uchihas love to host events and socialise. It’s what they grew up watching; the wealthy adults finding ridiculous excuses to get everyone together and network. It’s ironic that Naruto is the one who dabbles in such events for a living, and Sasuke prefers to stick to work occasions as much as possible.

From Obito –

**I’m bringing Kakashi. He hasn’t left the house in over a week now. And Naori said she can’t make it.**

From Sai –

**Pick me up tonight, you asshole. My car broke down. Again. I should ask for a goddamn raise from you.**

From Konan –

**Please, PLEASE make sure those two stay away from me tonight. Also, did you see Kisame’s latest post? Ugh, what a jerk.**

From Chouji –

**Are three trays of Baklava enough? Shino said your high school friends are going to be present.**

From Fuu –

**Please tell your brother and this idiot not to slip up tonight.**

And lastly from Banana Flyer –

**Returning with fancy coffee. Took your keys, in case you’re still not up.**

Itachi doesn’t bother replying to anyone just yet. He scrubs his eyes sleepily, and goes to the bathroom to get ready, mentally thanking himself to have saved Sundays as Break Days from morning exercise. After his shower, he’s rubbing his hair with a towel, walking to the kitchen to have some water when he sees Sakura leaning against the counter, checking her phone, still in Temari’s shirt and shorts.

“Oh, you’re back.”

She looks up and seems to pause.

Itachi frowns. “What’s wrong?”

Sakura blinks. “Nothing. Your hair is wet.”

He chuckles. “Oh. Yeah. I’m too bored to blow-dry it. Did you get the fancy coffee? What flavour is it this time?”

She doesn’t move. “It looks good. Your hair.”

“Right,” he says awkwardly, suddenly feeling shy. He goes to grab a glass under her stare, jittery and nervous, and doesn’t know what to make of the situation.

“Itachi?”

He faces her. She still hasn’t moved from her spot. “Yeah?”

“You’re still the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen.”

His whole body flushes red within two seconds flat. He remembers when Sakura first began calling him _Pretty Boy_ as if it were a liability, and not an asset. He finds it a little ridiculous that she’d say that, because Sakura has met her fair share of people on the road, and if she thinks that he’s the prettiest that she’s ever seen, then maybe she hasn’t seen all that much.

Itachi used to pride himself on his physical appearance, once upon a time, when he was still an arrogant teenager, sheltered, and questioning Sakura’s gall to snarl in his face with contempt. Over the years, he’s given it less and less importance, mostly because every time a person complimented him on his looks, he’d think _what’s the use if it couldn’t keep her here?_

Of course, that was foolish. He knows it now. Besides, after Sakura and Sai and Naruto, Temari has played a big role in his life to remind him that the world is much bigger than what he used to believe, that the characters that they play in the dramas are actual people, somewhere out there, and Itachi and Temari and all the performers are merely representing their struggles, their dreams, their lives.

And _now_ , now Sakura is watching him with burning apple green eyes as if she genuinely believes what she’s said.

* * *

Sakura leaves before Kaya arrives.

“Your girlfriend is not here today?” Kaya questions lightly, as she goes through her routine of dusting and vacuuming around Itachi’s still form on the couch.

He has his laptop open on his thighs, catching up on weekend emails and speaking with Shikamaru on the phone at the same time.

“She’s not my girlfriend, Kaya,” Itachi says absently. “Shika, what the fuck is up with clause 11 b? I’m not going to become their goddamn poster boy.”

“Ambassador,” Shikamaru corrects dryly. “They need us more than we need them, though, so just tell them you’re not interested in it.”

“Why can’t they just take you?” Itachi grumbles petulantly.

“She’s the only girl you brought home,” Kaya comments from the background.

Which is true, Itachi thinks. However, he can hardly be accused for it. “Need I remind you of the stalkers?”

“I’m not pretty enough for them,” Shikamaru says from the other side. “And I’m not the CEO.”

“Whatever. So listen.”

“What?”

“I’m bringing Sakura to the dinner tonight.”

Kaya suddenly snickers, and then tries to cover it with a cough. Itachi narrows his eyes at her, wondering why Shikamaru isn’t responding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. XD
> 
> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter gives more insight to Sakura! :)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: We're back to some heavy topics, including drug use. Please read it with a trusted individual if it is a trigger point for you.

Everything is going fine – meaning, Sakura is welcomed with open arms and laughter and curiosity, and Suigetsu wastes no time in indulging her with his own stories with wild expressions, and Konan has glued herself to Karin and Hinata, Yahiko and Nagato are standing poles apart, Chouji is trying to hold a conversation with Gaara, Kiba is with Akamaru as the dog tries to fool around with Kitsune, Sai is hanging out with Kakashi, Temari and Shikamaru are near the long table that is filled with alcohol and food, Bee is laughing loudly at Fuu and Yagura, Naruto is speaking excitedly with Obito and Shisui, and Sasuke is sipping at his drink with Itachi until –

“You’re staring,” Sasuke tells him.

Itachi thinks that he can’t be blamed. Sakura is wearing a black knee-length dress with matching flats, straight hair flowing down her frame, and is the prettiest in the room.

“You’re supposed to be friends,” Sasuke reminds him when Itachi doesn’t respond. “Friends don’t stare like that.”

Itachi tears his eyes away. “This is rather difficult.”

Sasuke chuckles. “I can see that,” he says with amusement. “Tell me – what exactly is stopping you both from getting back together?”

“We were never together,” Itachi corrects him.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Sasuke rolls his eyes, and then calls out in a carrying voice. “Naruto! Come here for a minute.”

Naruto pauses in his conversation, excuses himself with a smile, and comes over. “What’s up?”

“Sort this out for us,” Sasuke says. “Were Itachi and Sakura together when we were in school?”

“Obviously, yes,” Naruto answers.

“See? I told you.”

Itachi feels ganged up on. “But we never … decided that. Or talked about it. It was, you know, casual.”

And then Sasuke and Naruto are laughing so hard, they attract everyone’s attention in the room. Itachi glares at them, but they take their sweet little time to calm down.

“Oh God,” Naruto chokes out between giggles. “That’s the best thing I heard today, _including_ that Sasuke ran naked around your house when he was ten.”

“Wait, what?” Sasuke suddenly sobers up to shoot him a look. “Who told you that?”

Naruto snickers. “What do you think I’ve been speaking about with Obito and Shisui this whole time? They seem rather enthusiastic in spilling all your embarrassing childhood stories every time we meet.”

Sasuke groans. “That’s just perfect.”

“Don’t worry, babe,” Naruto throws his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders. “You’re still adorable. Not at all weird. Totally not weird.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sasuke mutters. “Let’s focus. Itachi. You’re an idiot.”

“Absolutely,” Naruto immediately agrees with firm nods. “Uchiha, that woman returned for you. How do you not see that? I mean, there is literally no other reason for her to come back.”

“She said she wants to be friends,” Itachi defends himself. “What do you expect me to do?”

“I’m so glad I fell for you,” Naruto tells Sasuke seriously. “You both might be twins, but man, your brother is a moron.”

Itachi glares at him and is expectedly ignored. “Watch it, Namikaze.”

“Itachi, listen to me,” Sasuke says slowly as though explaining to a child that two plus two equals four. “She said she wants to be friends because that’s the polite thing to do. She can’t exactly come back and jump you, can she? She has to test the waters. And Naruto is right. She literally has no other reason to return but you. She was clearly doing fine on her own.”

“That’s not true,” Itachi argues. “All her friends are here.”

“But she came to the office looking for you!” Naruto says incredulously. “Not her friends. She didn’t even know that they were working there! You told us that yourself, that she said she wanted to see you and talk to you.”

“Because she wants to be friends,” Itachi says stubbornly.

“She knows you named your entire company after her!” Sasuke reminds him impatiently. “That’s not a detail you miss out on!”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“ _Jesus_ , it’s like teaching Bambi how to walk,” Naruto complains. “Okay, imagine. For a minute, imagine that your roles are reversed, yeah? That you’re wandering down the countryside and these motels keep popping up with the pet name that your ex-lover –”

“I was not her ex- _lover_ ,” Itachi interrupts.

“Fine, ex- _fuckbuddy_ , then. Ex- _casual_. Is that better? Yeah? So, you see these motels popping up, and you brush it away as coincidence. But then you eventually learn that it’s owned by your ex- _whoever_ , and what do you do? Go back and ask to be friends? Or go back, thinking to yourself, that your ex- _whatever_ has dedicated this big ass company after you, and realise that _it is probably for a reason_. Now, would you return just to be friends? I mean, if you don’t think it’s a big deal, then it’s just a creepy stunt your obsessive ex- _Voldemort_ ­ pulled, right? So you run the other way. You don’t come back. The only logical reason you come back is to reunite with your ex- _sextoy_ because you believe it’s the most romantic gesture anyone has possibly done for you!”

Naruto pauses to breathe.

“Point being, brother,” Sasuke continues his partner’s speech. “That maybe you should ask her out. Properly, this time.”

Itachi’s heart is thudding inside his chest. “Even if that’s true,” he says and hopes that his voice isn’t as shaky as it feels to him, “I don’t see what else I can do. Isn’t it very clear what I want? I did build an empire after her name.”

“Yes,” Naruto replies. “But actually spelling it out does matter at one point. I mean, that’s why _you’re_ holding back, too, isn’t it? Because she hasn’t spelled it out for you, so you don’t know what to do. The only way out is to actually sit and talk. Confront it, man.”

Itachi doesn’t want to do that, if he’s being completely honest. If he confronts her, and she insists that she isn’t really interested in a romantic relationship with him, and leaves again, because it would just be too awkward to even stay friends, then Itachi truly wouldn’t know what to do. He’s put everything that he had in his company, and going through a heartbreak of such massive proportions once in a lifetime feels more than enough. He had never thought she’d return. This was not discussed.

“What’s up, Three Musketeers?” Temari and Shikamaru join them, each holding a glass of wine.

“Just opening Itachi’s eyes,” Sasuke replies. “Hopefully.”

“Nothing new, then?” she laughs. “What is it this time?”

“Sakura.”

“Oooo,” she grins excitedly. “You don’t need to open Itachi’s eyes – they’re always glued to her, anyway.”

Naruto snickers. “Yeah,” he agrees, and then explains the whole conversation in short.

“Wait, you really thought she wants to be friends?” Shikamaru asks him with a puzzled expression. “We thought we’re just going along with it for fun. Not that you genuinely believed it.”

“I’m getting tired of this now,” Itachi sighs, and leaves their group to join Kakashi, instead. Sai has already abandoned the man to go fool around with Yagura.

“So,” Kakashi says as soon as Itachi reaches him. “This girl.”

And Itachi feels a rush of déjà vu. “Don’t say it like that.”

“You really want to do this again?” Kakashi asks coolly.

“What is it with people today and asking me about her,” Itachi complains. “This party is not _Let’s_ _Interrogate_ _Itachi_ party.”

Kakashi stares at him. “You know, I always thought you were an idiot, oblivious kid in denial. And then you grew up. I’m seeing now that I was wrong. You’re still an idiot, oblivious kid in denial.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Your date tonight is the girl you dedicated your career to, and you’re not even dating her. That’s what it means.”

Itachi looks at Kakashi, really _looks_ at him, and remembers that he was the person in Itachi’s world who always stood guardian. A real guardian. He swallows down his nervousness, and takes the plunge.

“Do you think,” he clears his throat. “Do you think that she liked me, back then?”

What he really means is, _Do you think that she ever liked me?_ , and knows that Kakashi has always been quite adept at reading between the lines when it comes to Itachi, anyway.

“You know,” Kakashi says instead. “Obito knew about your little affair the whole time. I didn’t even have to say anything.”

“That … makes a lot of sense.”

Sakura’s reunion with Obito had been filled with cryptic words, at best.

Kakashi nods. “And it’s not because you were so messy and childish with your sneaking around, either. He knew it because the girl asked him once if you would ever consider someone like her as worthy of your attention.”

“What?”

“For her, you were just as forbidden as she was to you,” Kakashi finishes calmly.

 _You were her ethical crisis_ , he remembers suddenly and realises the magnitude of it. There wasn’t some petty class difference for her, there was a moral one. She slept with him, comforted him, laughed and danced with him, knowing that he kicked out Izumi out of the school, knowing that he was as bad as the man who put her parents in prison. Granted, she did leave, but Sakura was just as lost as he was at that time. He can’t hold that against her, and he doesn’t. He understands why she had to leave, and he’s grateful to be able to talk with her again. Grateful for this second chance that he’s received to prove to her that _he’s_ worthy of _her_ attention.

After all, she’s the girl who used the same sarcastic tone whenever she addressed him as _Pretty Boy_ or _Your Majesty_ – or _Pinocchio._

The girl who made him remember that he was human all along.

His eyes swivel to her as if on reflex. She’s listening to something Konan is saying, nodding and interested, holding a bottle of beer, and his heart stutters because this had been something he’d wished for, a long time ago – Sakura interacting with his friends and his friends accepting her role in Itachi’s life. And here they are, a full decade later.

* * *

Itachi joins Sakura as she speaks with Hinata and Kiba near one of the large windows.

“…really?” Kiba is asking with amazement.

Sakura nods, beaming. “Yeah. It was pretty cool. Yucky – but cool.”

“What are you talking about?” Itachi questions, standing beside her, one hand going across her back so that he can lean on the ledge. Sakura doesn’t move away.

“Horse giving birth,” Kiba replies.

“Ew.”

Sakura nudges him lightly. “I was just telling him how I helped in the birthing process once.”

“Ew.”

She laughs. “Shut up. It’s a beautiful thing, okay?”

“Weren’t you just saying how yucky it was?” Itachi reminds her, joining the dots of the conversation.

“I’m allowed to,” she argues. “ _You_ weren’t there.”

“Itachi would never be there in a million years,” Kiba guffaws, and Hinata purses her lips to stifle her laughter.

“Why would I?” He frowns back. “I don’t own a goddamn horse.”

“You’re just a hygiene freak,” Kiba rolls his eyes. “Even in college, he would complain about dusty table tops. I mean, we had to sneak in Akamaru sometimes, right? And all he cared about was how the fur stuck to his clothes.”

Sakura giggles. “Really? You didn’t have such qualms before,” she reminds him pointedly.

And Itachi can’t help it. He leans in to speak in her ear. “It’s not the questionably clean bedsheets I used to come for.”

Sakura’s breath hitches. Grinning, he moves away.

Hinata gives him an amused look, but a happy one, because Hinata was there that night, and because Hinata had witnessed his heartbreak.

“Which reminds me,” Kiba continues obliviously. “I bumped into Samui the other day. Man, she still doesn’t like you much, does she?”

Itachi tenses, and so does Sakura. Hinata’s smile slips off, her free hand grabbing Kiba’s elbow, and she gives him a warning look. Kiba frowns back, not understanding.

Chouji decides to join them, along with Shino. “Having fun, Sakura?”

Sakura smiles stiffly. “Yeah. I loved your pastry, Chouji! Do you cook professionally?”

Chouji beams back happily, telling her about the restaurant that he works at, and how she should pay a visit soon. Sakura promises to do so, and tells him about a similar pastry she’d had once but doesn’t remember the name of it, and then asks after Shino. Shino talks about his family’s NGO, about how they’re trying to gather enough petitions to make changes in the policies regarding animal endangerment, and Sakura shares her experience about the time when she’d joined a rally in one of the northern towns –

“For polar bears,” she explains. “The hunting and poaching was getting out of hand, and so the locals came together to hold a march outside the government bodies. It turned pretty ugly, though. During the camp fire later that night, this man – Aoba – he told me that the government has its own black market.”

Hinata catches Itachi’s eye, and he jerks his chin slightly, and she nods back, casually suggesting the others that maybe it’s time to go speak with Bee. Once they leave, Itachi removes his hand from behind her, and she faces him.

“You want a tour?” he suggests lightly.

“Okay.”

So Itachi leads her through the crowd, shows her his old bedroom – which is now a guest bedroom, then gestures to Sasuke’s bedroom, hesitates outside the art workshop, but explains that it would be better if Sasuke gives explicit permission, and then ends up in his former dance studio.

Itachi flicks on the lights, shuts the door behind him. Sakura walks to the middle of the wooden floor, stares at him through the mirror wall.

“Hi.”

He smiles. “Hi.”

She doesn’t say more, and he comes to a stand behind her, his chest lightly brushing against her back, eyes still locked in the mirror.

“You want to dance?” he asks in a soft voice, as though sharing a secret.

Sakura slowly nods. “Okay.”

Itachi grabs one hand, spins her around, and wraps the other around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. They shuffle from feet to feet, but it’s not long before Itachi is leading her through a simple routine, and Sakura laughs breathlessly, and it feels like a win.

“You’ve still got your moves,” she chuckles as he pulls her up from the low dip.

“Of course, I do. You haven’t seen much at all.”

“Oh, really, Your Majesty?” she teases. “Is this how you woo women? Take them dancing?”

Itachi hmms under his breath, neither denies nor affirms the claim, now leading her back into slow-dancing, one hand around the waist, the other holding her palm. “Don’t tell me no one ever took you dancing.”

This is dangerous territory, he knows. Because as much as Itachi knows about her, he still has no idea whether Sakura ever dated while on the road, ever got into bed with another, ever loved a person. She’s done a pretty good job in side-stepping, herself. And he knows that if she answers this, there will be no more side-stepping Samui, or any other women he’s dated in life since Sakura’s departure.

Sakura holds his gaze, and Itachi feels it like a burn across his skin.

“There were a few,” she replies mildly, the tone deceptive of the magnitude of the conversation. “Some liked dancing, some liked to sing. Some preferred hiking. Some preferred dinners. Some – more intimate than that.”

“Yeah?” he asks back in the same cool manner.

“Yeah.”

They shuffle some more.

“So,” she breaks the silence. “Samui. The blonde your mother chose for you.”

Itachi tightens his hold on her waist. “You remember her.”

“Hard to forget,” Sakura says bluntly. “Besides, I saw your old photos recently. Quite a long string of women.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” he steps away, one hand stretching out, then spins her in, her back now pressed against his chest, both his arms around her body, pinning her in place.

Sakura stares at him through the mirror again. “Wasn’t my place to do so.”

Itachi stares back. “We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends talk about exes.”

To be honest, he’s finding it a little difficult to concentrate on his words. His senses are overloaded with her scent, and all he wants to do bury his nose in her hair.

“What happened with Samui?” she challenges.

“She didn’t like my company name.”

Sakura freezes at his confession.

“Your turn.”

She inhales. “You want to know who all I fucked, Pretty Boy?”

His jaw clenches, jealousy coursing through his body, and he feels foolish to have forgotten that Sakura _loved_ the power play as much as he did.

“Are you …” he says through gritted teeth. “Are you seeing anyone currently?”

And then Sakura smirks, the mischief returning to her face in an instant, and Itachi feels his own tension fade away at the sight.

“I hardly think it’s possible right now. Being your friend is pretty high-maintenance.”

Itachi squeezes her playfully once before letting go. “I told you already – you don’t need to buy the fancy coffee.”

Sakura turns to face him properly, grinning cheekily. “ _Sure_. You love stupid stuff like that. Don’t even deny it.”

Well, he does like that.

* * *

“I don’t know,” Konan admits, staring out at the city, holding a glass of champagne. “I thought that we were finally going somewhere, and then he does _that_. I don’t know if I will ever forgive either of them.”

Itachi doesn’t know what to say to that, so he doesn’t.

“Sometimes,” Konan continues after a few silent moments. “Sometimes, I think that … it … that it could be okay. We’ve been friends forever, and I remember when he offered to help me out by proposing to marry. He said that since my parents will force me into one, anyway, then I could at least have a friend with me. I knew that we weren’t involved, and I had no reason to expect loyalty from him. That’s what I told myself, after watching both my parents have countless affairs. I thought it was okay to just marry a person and still love someone else. Or sleep with someone else. That marriage is just this _thing_ that we do.”

As he watches her struggle through her words, Itachi feels a sinking in his gut for the hundredth time in years. He’s only left with three friends from his original Lucius Malfoys, and none of them are even speaking with each other anymore.

“But then … Yahiko would know how much sugar I put in my coffee, which towel I preferred to use for showers, how I like to divide my desk into different spaces so it’s more organized, how I forget to eat sometimes if I bring work home … and I just ended up giving him _my_ loyalty because I felt that he earned it. I realised that marriage might be this _thing_ that we do, but it warrants some amount of respect and faithfulness, regardless of whether you love that person. When he cheated, it hit me quite hard. And when I learned that he cheated on me with Nagato, it nearly broke me. So _then_ I realised that marriage sucks, and you should never do it.”

Itachi blinks at her blankly. Honestly, by this point, whatever words he was forming in his head have already left him. But this is his friend, so he struggles to bring them back.

“My mother,” he begins uncertainly, “she never liked that Sasuke is gay. She gave him a pretty hard time. My dad never interfered, and we thought that he was homophobic, too. Until he came and told us that he was just a husband, who wanted to _not_ go against his wife in front of the kids. Which felt pretty stupid to me, because that kind of loyalty made Sasuke’s life difficult.”

“I already know, Itachi. Where are you going with this?” she asks him, now amused.

“I don’t know,” he admits.

“Okay. Go on.”

So he does. “Now, they’re both divorced. For a long time, Sasuke blamed himself, even though he knew that it wasn’t his fault. That our mother’s opinions and choices were hers alone, and her responsibility. Not his. Or anyone else’s. I think what I’m trying to say is that … don’t blame yourself for Yahiko and Nagato’s choices. They fucked up. Don’t let their stupidity ruin something for you.”

Konan watches him, and he watches her back. Then she smiles. “You sound like Zets.”

And Itachi throws his head back, laughing –

“I don’t see the problem with that.”

Konan and Itachi both whip around. Zetsu is standing a few feet away, wearing a pair of harem pants and loose T-shirt, grinning widely.

“What the fuck?”

“You guys are so hopeless,” he says, marching forward. “I leave you alone for a few years, and you fuck yourself over. What the hell?”

Zetsu throws his arms around the two of them.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Konan asks him when he pulls back. “Why aren’t you bald?”

“Why the fuck would I be bald?”

“You went monk,” Itachi says. “Monks are bald.”

“Can we stop saying ‘bald’?” he frowns.

“Zetsu?” Yahiko and Nagato enter through the balcony threshold, looking surprised and excited. “Zets!”

Konan shifts to stand with Itachi as the two men rush over to them.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Yahiko asks. “And why aren’t you bald?”

“Yeah, shouldn’t you be bald?” Nagato adds, running his fingers through Zetsu’s wild locks.

Zetsu swats his hand away. “Stop that. And Weasel’s girlfriend called me.”

“What?” Yahiko stares, then realisation dawns on his face. “Oh, Sakura?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Itachi protests, but no one pays him attention.

“How?” Konan questions, looking heavily confused.

“I was studying at this school, they call it _ashram_ , and she knew this other guy there. Haku. So one day, he just comes up to me and says _Sakura wants to talk to you_ , and hands me the phone.”

“What?” Itachi raises his eyebrows. “Haku went monk? Is he bald, too? I rather liked his hair.”

“No, he’s not bald!” Zetsu says in an exasperated tone. 

“So, what were you doing exactly?” Konan asks him. “I didn’t know monks used phones, either.”

Zetsu groans, as though he’s regretting his decision to ever have reunited with his childhood friends. “He’s not learning there. He just volunteered to work. And we do a lot of things! We learn about ancient scriptures, meditate, grow plants, eat organic. It’s actually pretty cool. You just stop giving a fuck about all the stupid things in life. It’s very liberating.”

“But you never gave a fuck about anything,” Nagato points out. “Why did you go all the way inside a mountain to learn what you already knew?”

And then Zetsu smiles this strange smile, and says, “Isn’t everyone doing the same?” He looks at each of his friends. “When we were kids, what was the most important thing in our lives? Staying happy. Remember all the stupid things we did just to get a laugh? Konan had that blue hair phase. Yahiko tried to sneak us in his father’s office so we could look at all the cool guns when we were like seven. Nagato ran away from home that one time because he was convinced that he was adopted. Kisame was obsessed with sharks when we were what? Twelve? And he had those weird shark pillows and wallpapers and huge ass sculptures in his bedroom. Itachi went bonkers when he hit puberty, and we dragged him for testing of STDs every month.

“And then we go through all this fucked up shit in the hope that we’ll find the purpose to life, right? Careers, relationships, friends, family, marriage, what not. But we’re searching for the answer that we already know, aren’t we? The whole point is to stay happy, to do stupid shit that makes us happy. I mean, think about it! We’re practically the only beings who learn the life lesson before going through life. That’s fucking crazy.”

There’s a brief moment of silence. Then Yahiko breaks it –

“For a monk, you curse too much. And you’re not even bald. What’s up with that?”

Zetsu buries his face in his hands. “Never should have come.”

* * *

Itachi once again grabs her attention when she’s with Naruto, and he’s introducing Bee, Fuu, and Yagura to her.

“Hey, Uchiha,” Naruto begins immediately. “Tell her how much of a big deal I am today. She refuses to believe me!”

Sakura is perfectly aware of it. Just two days ago, she was telling Itachi how much she loved Naruto’s take on the culture of the tribes, and he told her that Naruto is the one who keeps him up-to-date regarding the government policies, and sits with Itachi’s lawyers from time to time to figure out a way to introduce better and efficient methods to get the required schemes for the customers.

In fact, it had become a whole conversation when Sakura admitted to not having access to such schemes when she was younger, which is why Granny Chiyo was surprised to hear that Sakura didn’t even have a bank account despite having worked small jobs, and made one for her immediately.

“You are?” Itachi asks innocently, and she snickers.

Naruto glares petulantly. “Fuu, help me out.”

Fuu rolls her eyes. “Nope.”

“Relax,” Sakura giggles. “You know I’m proud of you.”

Naruto’s face softens and he beams back. “I really missed you, you know.”

Itachi clears his throat. “I’m gonna need to steal her for a bit.”

“Don’t do anything scandalous,” Naruto laughs loudly.

“Look who’s talking,” Itachi repeats his words back to him. “Hands off my brother tonight, Namikaze. Don’t want you accidentally photo-bombing with your tongue down his throat.”

Naruto flushes, and Itachi takes the moment to tug Sakura away from them and to the couch.

“What happened?”

He drops down beside her. “You called Zetsu.”

Her cheeks warm up. “Surprise? Haku was once telling me about the place, and he mentioned Zetsu’s name. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.”

“Thank you,” Itachi says sincerely. “You didn’t have to do it.”

She smiles back. “It’s alright. I didn’t mind.”

She asks if everything is okay with Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato, and Itachi says _someday, perhaps._

* * *

Sai and Sasuke are in an argument when Itachi decides to fill in his brother about Sakura.

So he waits, unhurriedly sipping at his gin and tonic, one hand stuffed in his pocket, one eye trained on the woman in question as she plays with Akamaru and Kitsune, and Bee sings terrible rap to her.

Over the years, Itachi has realised just how _different_ these two men are. While Sai is crude in his delivery, Sasuke is precise and ruthless. While Sai prefers to get high on the cheapest thrills, Sasuke visits European countries for skydiving. While Sai enjoys making fun of Naruto’s various body parts, Sasuke pounces on the opportunity to engage the blonde in a “battle of wits”.

The one thing they seem to share, however, is _enlighten_ Itachi every chance that they get.

“…the ice is melting,” Sasuke is saying to him. “How can you ignore that?”

“I’m not ignoring it,” Sai says stubbornly. “I’m just saying drugs is a bigger problem! You need to visit the heart of the city. One drug dealer on every corner, and teenagers sneaking off to buy them! Who cares about rising water level when the kids are dying?”

“What will you do if the ozone layer disappears?” Sasuke shoots back. “There won’t be _any_ human alive!”

“The climatic changes are gradual,” Sai points out. “It will take _years and years_ to have any visible effects. On the other hand, drugs is right here, in our neighbourhood.”

“That’s not true,” Sasuke frowns. “The effects of climate change are already showing. We’re just doing a great job at ignoring them. It _is_ here. Just look around you – ecosystems are dying, wildfires burning through hundreds of acres, the air we breathe is polluted, the garbage dumped in sea is poisoning marine life – I can state like a hundred effects that are directly affecting us.”

“I’m not ignoring it,” Sai repeats impatiently. “Look – I grew up in a school where kids used to deal coke and smoke cigarettes and were high on pot during classes.”

“We had the same,” Itachi puts in.

“So don’t you think something needs to be done about it? These are mental health problems. If you think sniffing coke to get through exams is a _normal_ , regular thing – then I don’t know what to say to you.”

Sasuke exchanges a look with Itachi, and Itachi is certain that they’re thinking of the same thing: It wasn’t that Sasuke and Itachi never considered the temptations while growing up. Being wealthy is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the stress of proving yourself to the world is highly taxing; the inherent expectation that it comes with wherein having money is somehow equivalent to two extremes – either you have natural talent or you’re dumb as a rock. After all, there is a reason why Itachi and Sasuke were made to pick extra-curricular activities when they were only four years old.

On the other hand, you have the freedom of gaining materialistic pleasures – which is fine, because both of them enjoy them plenty. In fact, the first time Itachi had ever bothered with checking his bank account was when he decided to deflect from family business to start his own. Even then, the company took off within a year and half, and all he cares about now is signing the necessary documents that his accountant keeps sending him from time to time. He honestly has no idea what the digits are.

It’s the same with Sasuke. If Itachi is being completely honest, Sasuke probably makes more money than Itachi right now because, yes, Coco Shelters is doing _great_ and Itachi doesn’t need to check his bank account, but Tsukuyomi is an old shark in the market. The only reason why Sasuke hasn’t bought a bigger, independent house is because he can’t be bothered with the effort of relocating. So instead, he _invested_ in a couple of them around the globe.

So – yes, the brothers are not oblivious to the drugs usage. Their school had plenty students claiming it to be _recreational_. If Itachi and Sasuke weren’t truly dedicated to their extra-curricular classes, he’s sure they would have definitely given the whole thrill a shot.

Itachi tries to divert the conversation to his problem. Sakura might not be equivalent to climate change and drug dealers and mental health, but she is the biggest issue in Itachi’s life right now.

“She doesn’t like anyone else,” Sai rolls his eyes at him. “Dude, you need to chill the fuck out.”

And Itachi stares at this man, the word _hypocrite_ on the tip of his tongue.

“Well, did you honestly think that she never dated anyone else after you?” Sasuke cuts in smoothly. “I mean, you dated, too.”

 _Hypocrite_ , he ends up directing it to himself.

When Naruto joins their little grouping, Sai takes the opportunity to challenge him to a drinking game.

“You’re on,” Naruto grins.

“I’m screwed,” Sasuke mutters.

“Quite literally,” Itachi tells him dryly, shuddering, despite the warm alcohol buzzing under his skin.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke are languidly making out on the couch at one point – Fuu glares at Itachi as if it’s his fault, and Temari decides that it’s quite rude of them to do that, being the hosts, so she squeezes between them while Shikamaru leaves her to her antics and stays with Chouji and Kiba, instead. There’s a moment where Hinata and Suigetsu are by the kitchen counter when Itachi goes to grab a glass of water, and they jump apart slightly as though being caught red-handed in a compromising situation. Itachi shoots them suspicious looks, but then Shisui calls him to tease some more over Sakura.

Later, Itachi insists on dropping her off at the pub, but Sakura refuses, telling him to enjoy the evening, and that she’ll be over at his apartment next morning, anyway.

So Itachi spends his night with everyone, all the while thinking of her, and feels a rush of another déjà vu. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan stay within the circle for Zetsu’s sake, and Zetsu tries to impart his wisdom onto them until Yahiko tells him that they don’t give a shit about any of that.

* * *

Itachi decides to head over to Sakura’s pub after he leaves Sasuke and Naruto’s apartment. As soon as Sakura had left, the others wasted no time in teasing him thoroughly, and Temari guided everyone through _Remember Me_ from the movie Coco, and Itachi sat on the floor with one hand in Akamaru’s fur and the other in Kitsune’s, trying to ignore them all for what it was worth.

It’s already a little past 2, so he’s hoping to drop her off at her flat. When he pulls outside the pub, she’s standing outside on the pavement a little ways down, engaged in a conversation with a large man. Itachi makes his way over to the pair, and realises soon that they’re in an argument.

“…but that’s what it means,” the man is insisting. “You go on stage, you sing provocatively, and now you refuse to pay up?”

Sakura’s face turns red with anger. “Are you stupid? I’m not a call-girl!”

“What?” Itachi joins her. “What’s happening?”

The man turns to him, smiling, as though he’s suddenly found back-up. “Look, man, can you tell this chick here? I just came over to ask how much she costs per hour, and she got all mad at me.”

“Excuse me?” Itachi says coldly, going stiff.

The man groans with frustration. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I just want a quick fuck. Won’t even take an hour–!”

And Sakura punches him in the nose.

The man howls in pain, clutching at his face, spitting out profanities. “What the fuck did you do that for? If you didn’t want to, just fucking say so, you crazy bitch!”

“For the last time, I don’t fuck for money, you asshole!” Sakura rages.

“Sakura!” Itachi tugs on her arm, watching the man warily, because he’s slowly straightening up and appears to have every intention to punch her back. “Run!”

They shoot off in the opposite direction, but Sakura stops, cursing, after only a few steps.

“Sakura! Let’s go!” Itachi says hurriedly, mentally praying for Kakashi or Sasuke as if on reflex. The man is advancing behind her. “Sakura!”

“Hang on!” She removes her heels quickly and holds them in her hands. “Okay, go, go, go!”

Itachi doesn’t need telling twice. He grabs her hand and _runs_. They go for a good five minutes around the block, until Itachi is confident that the man has stopped giving chase.

“Does that happen a lot?” Itachi demands angrily.

Sakura sighs. “Not a lot. A few times.”

“What the fuck, Coco? What’s Gai doing? Shouldn’t he be protecting his employees?”

“Yeah, they don’t exactly ask in front of him, do they?” she counters, now frustrated.

“But they shouldn’t be allowed in the pub!” he says incredulously.

“They’re not, okay? I’ll tell Darui not to let him in.”

“Who the fuck is Darui?”

“The bouncer.”

And Itachi feels a fresh stream of pure rage coursing through his body, because that man should have _prevented_ this. Moreover, what the hell was he doing when Sakura was approached by that dipshit?

“This is fucking great,” he bites out. “Just great.”

“Relax,” Sakura soothes. “He’s gone. Besides, I did get to punch him.”

Itachi stares at her, speechless. To be honest, he’s also feeling a little relieved that Sakura doesn’t have any qualms with hitting people. He’s horrible in fights. He has Sasuke for these things. Not that he’s ever gotten in such a situation in the recent few years; he supposes it’s a good thing that she can hold her own. Not that he ever questioned it, of course, but it’s still nice to witness it with his own eyes.

“I can’t believe you punched him,” he says with sudden wonder, now unable to stop from sniggering at the man’s shocked and livid expression.

“You looked like you were about to,” she giggles.

“I think I was,” he admits.

“Can’t have that, now, can we?” she grins. “Piano hands.”

Itachi’s smile fades, and she raises her eyebrows. Wanting to divert her, he peers around their surroundings, instead. “Where are we? We need to find my car.”

She lets it go. “We’re not far. Come on. What are you doing here anyway?”

Itachi falls into step beside her, hands in pockets. “I thought I could give you a ride.”

“Why, thank you, Your Majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Deals with controversial topics.

Sakura continues to come over for breakfast, regardless of the day, except for when he texts her that he has breakfast meeting to attend to. When it happens for the third time in one week, Itachi texts –

_Why don’t you just come over in the evening tonight? We can watch a movie. Have dinner. If you’re free._

Her reply isn’t instant. It takes her a good ten minutes, and Itachi’s knuckles are almost white as he clutches the phone in his hand, ignoring the shower running in the background.

**I was planning to meet my friends before work.**

Itachi sighs. _No problem._

* * *

“She blew me off,” he tells Sai over lunch. Shikamaru has a lunch meeting. “That’s not a good sign, is it?”

“She didn’t blow you off, you idiot,” Sai says. “It’s a legit plan. I’m joining them, too. We’re going to the circus down by the river.”

Itachi stares. “What are you, five-year-olds?”

Sai is _not_ amused. He points the chopsticks in his face accusingly. “Give us a pay raise. Maybe then we will enjoy a night cruising in the Arabian Sea.”

“That was _one time_ ,” Itachi says through gritted teeth. “And it was Sasuke’s idea.”

It was a fun trip, if Itachi is completely honest. They coincidentally had the same free weekend, and decided to go on a shopping spree to Milan, half a day spa in Amsterdam by the canal-side, and then Sasuke suggested how great it would be to fly to Dubai and check out the Arabian Sea.

“Yeah, and you were a helpless participant,” Sai says sarcastically.

Itachi glares. “It’s not as though you have shit salaries,” he points out. “In fact, they’re pretty decent. I find it hard to believe that you can’t go to a nice restaurant. Besides, isn’t that what she’d enjoy, too? After being on the road for so long, I’d take a nice mani-pedi rather than going to the circus.”

“Oh, yeah?” Sai challenges. “Come with us, then. I bet you’ll enjoy it more than your stupid opera.”

Itachi rolls his eyes. “No, thank you,” he says prissily, now studying his nails. “I’ll be at the spa.”

* * *

Sometimes, Sakura brings fancy coffee, too. She doesn’t sleep over, though, and Itachi doesn’t know whether he is glad or not.

“I think I freaked her out,” he says to Temari after practice. “I shouldn’t have said that Samui broke up with me because of the name of my company.”

“Maybe not,” Temari allows. “You do come off strongly.”

“You’re a girl,” he says as if he’s just realised it. “Suggest me something that is not _too_ casual, but not too serious, either.”

Temari narrows her eyes at the coffee on the table. “Let me think … oh, shopping!”

Itachi stares uncertainly. “What?”

“I’m serious,” she says with enthusiasm. “It’s a friendly activity,” she counts on her fingers. “Nothing serious about it. Nothing suggestive about it. And it’s fun.”

“Temari,” Itachi says with disbelief. “Shopping is a _very_ intimate affair!”

She rolls her eyes. “For _you_ , it is. Not for everyone.”

* * *

So the next morning, he says –

“Shopping?” Sakura repeats blankly. “What for?”

“You don’t need a reason for shopping,” he says, puzzled by her question.

“Yes, you do,” she replies with the same amount of confusion.

 _Shit_.

“It’s … of course!” he says in a rush. “I meant that I need a nice suit for the upcoming office party.”

“Why don’t you just go with a guy?” she asks. “I don’t really know much about suits.”

“Right.”

* * *

“I thought girls love to shop,” Itachi grumbles.

He’s stretched out on Sasuke’s couch with Kitsune curled up on his abdomen, while Sasuke is in similar position on the other piece of couch. Naruto had to fly out for an event – his political party is trying to pass a bill regarding the safety of refugees in the country.

“I don’t think this is about shopping,” Sasuke says at the ceiling. “I think this is about you.”

Itachi shoots up. Kitsune startles, hair rising, hissing and spitting disdainfully. Then he climbs onto Sasuke’s chest, and Sasuke buries his hand in his fur absently.

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it,” Sasuke says. “When she came to this apartment the other day, she was officially introduced to your way of living, the crowd that you hang out with. I think it might have freaked her out.”

“But she already knows how I live,” Itachi insists.

“Coming over for breakfast and meeting your maid doesn’t count,” Sasuke states bluntly. “What I mean is – Itachi, when you knew her in school, she used to stay at a motel and you guys never actually went out. The only times she witnessed you in your world was when she’d hang out at Kamui with us. That’s not a lot to go on, is it?”

“Is this about money?”

“Yes.”

“Sasuke,” Itachi’s jaw clenches. “You sound like our Dad.”

Sasuke doesn’t even flinch. He’s scratching Kitsune’s belly lazily.

“Hear me out. I’m not saying that this difference in your economic status or whatever matters. I’m saying that a difference _exists_. It’ll be foolish to act like it’s not there. Sakura has lived her life a certain way. And so have you. If you can’t go watch a riverside circus for her, then don’t expect her to accompany you while you spend thousands on a suit.

“It was easy to overlook this stuff when we were kids. It didn’t feel like a big deal. But we’re not kids anymore. We have a full-fledged life. A certain way of living. A certain standard that we hold for ourselves. I understand that you care for her, but accepting someone and _being_ with them are two totally different things. The hard part isn’t over, brother. It starts now.”

Itachi doesn’t respond, and Sasuke doesn’t drag it out, either.

* * *

There are times when he just wants to ask her if she really worries about the gap, but ends up asking about something entirely different.

“Sakura …”

She looks up from her plate of scrambled eggs. “Yeah?”

“I have a ticket for my show,” he panics. “Would you like to come and watch?”

She grins. “Obviously!”

* * *

So when Itachi performs _The Elephant Man_ , Sakura is in the audience. Before the show begins, he is distinctly aware that this is the first time she’d be seeing him up on stage, in his element, and he’s unbelievably anxious. Sakura has always had that effect on him. Being vulnerable in front of her manages to bring out sudden shyness that he doesn’t bother with otherwise. Which is fine, except that he can’t afford to be shy when he’s about to go live in front of hundreds of people. He keeps repeating the same mantra over and over in his head that this is not his first show, it won’t be the last, and he’s practiced too hard to screw it up now.

Temari keeps shooting him looks as they change into their costumes and sit for make-up.

“Itachi,” she says seriously, “not the time. Okay?”

He takes a steadying breath. “Yes. I know.”

“Good.”

* * *

By the time he’s up on the stage, he realises that, perhaps, Sakura being in the audience is actually a good thing. Itachi can use this opportunity to flaunt his skills on a completely different level, and maybe, _swoon_ her. That’s what he wants to do, anyway, in the grand scheme of things. He remembers that, sure, Sakura is someone he can gossip with without feeling phony, someone he has taught music to before, someone he has danced on mud and stones for, bled for, someone he’s ran away with from lunatic men, but this is also _Coco­_ , and he wants her to want him – the whole of him.

So Itachi gives the best performance that he’s capable of, flawlessly, with the battle calm that Hashirama taught him, that Temari helped in reinforcing.

* * *

After the show, Sakura enters the green room with the backstage pass that he’s given her. Temari is changing out of her costume behind the dividing panel, and Itachi is scrubbing off the make-up. The rest of the cast is engaged in similar activities, and there’s the usual excited chatter after another successful show.

Sakura grins at him in the mirror, and begins a steady stream of compliments that has him grinning back at her, warmth spreading to his toes. When Temari joins them, Sakura turns to her, starting another babble of her favourite parts, the bits that she was confused about – _I don’t really understand this stuff much_ , but how she’s confident that it was “a pretty cool story” and that “everyone loved it!”

Temari interrupts her to ask about dinner plans, and Sakura tells her that she needs to go to work.

“Let’s just go there, then,” Temari suggests.

Itachi agrees, and checks the time. He sends off quick texts to Sasuke and Sai, asking them whether they’d want to come. Sasuke and Naruto have still not found time in their busy schedule to pay a visit, and Itachi knows that Sakura is waiting for them to do so, even if she has never voiced it out loud. Besides, he wants them to kinda sorta come because Sakura is a good singer, and he feels that people should know it.

Sasuke replies instantly. **Sure. I’ll bring Naruto, too. But he’s stuck somewhere right now, so we’ll join you guys in an hour or so.**

Sai refuses, saying that he’s been looking forward to sleeping the whole day.

“Is Shika coming?” Itachi asks Temari as they leave the green room.

“Nah. To be honest, I’m only coming for the food at this point.”

Not that the pub has great food, Itachi wants to point out, but holds his tongue. Temari looks dead on her feet already. Sakura drives with Itachi in his car to the pub, excited to know that Sasuke and Naruto will be joining later. When Lee shows them to an empty table, Sakura disappears behind the staff doors to get ready.

Lee doesn’t leave. He pulls out a seat to join them, chin propped up on both hands.

“I was wondering if either of you would like to sing?” he asks, grinning at them. “Or play?”

Temari glances at Itachi, who tenses up slightly. “No, thank you,” she replies politely.

“That’s too bad,” he says regrettably. “I’ve seen your videos, Itachi. You play the piano really well.”

“Those videos are very old,” Itachi tells him.

Lee nods. “Yeah. When you were in school. Anyway, that’s alright. Sakura keeps raving about your skills, though, and I thought I could at least ask you once.”

“She does?”

Lee laughs, big round eyes amused. “Yes. She told me that you were her first teacher.”

Itachi doesn’t know what to say to that. Thankfully, Temari diverts the conversation to her food order, complaining about hunger and long shows and late nights. Lee leaves them soon to attend to pub duties, and Itachi waits expectantly for Sakura to show up on the small stage. And yes, he has seen her perform a few times by now in the pub, but he believes that his favourite of all time is still the one from when he was sitting on the empty street-side bench in the middle of the night.

Sakura throws him a smile when she takes her stand behind the mike, wearing a long dark grey mermaid dress that has tiny pink flowers around the waist, and begins.

Everything is going fine until Sasuke and Naruto show up, donned in casual T-shirts and denim pants. Itachi instantly recognizes the swollen lips and clear eyes and mischievous secretive smirks as they each pull out a chair to sit.

Nothing feels out of the ordinary at first. Temari leaves soon, claiming that she can barely keep her eyes open any longer. Naruto and Sasuke seem to be enjoying the night, drinking beer, eating chips, listening to Sakura, and talking about inane things such as whether they should repaint their living room midnight blue, or whether Sasuke’s T-shirt is now too old to be worn, or whether Itachi should consider cutting his hair short.

Sakura’s shift isn’t long this time around, and after two hours, she changes back into her previous clothes of skinny jeans and black top, joining the three men. She insists on waiting for another half an hour because she’s raging hungry, and they order some more food for her, which she devours in record time, telling Naruto and Sasuke all about Itachi’s performance earlier at the show.

After paying, they make their way to the doors, and Naruto is in the middle of telling Sakura that she should join them for a movie night soon, when the four of them are instantly blinded by camera flashes and voices talking over each other, asking –

It’s the paparazzi.

Kimimaro and Asuma are on the standby, and they clear out a path for them to Sasuke’s car, and Itachi manages to pull Sakura to his own under the whole ruckus. Sakura is too surprised at the sudden onslaught to speak, and Itachi keeps throwing her worried looks all the way to his own apartment. She doesn’t even complain this time that it’s not her apartment.

Itachi makes them both tea and hands one mug to Sakura, taking a seat beside her on the couch.

“What was that?” she finally asks.

Itachi sighs. “I’m assuming someone recognized us. I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

Sakura doesn’t reply immediately. “I’m …”

“Yeah?”

She turns to face him properly, seriously, a small frown appearing between her eyebrows. “Is this what it is like? To be associated with you openly? I’m not stupid. I know you’re a big deal in the business industry. I just never pegged you for – for this type of celebrity.”

Itachi’s heart sinks at her tone. He struggles to keep his expression as neutral as possible, and answers slowly. “Me or Naruto or Sasuke. Naruto is a political figure now, so he has to maintain a public image. He deals with media all the time. Sasuke and I have the family background. Sasuke is also dating Naruto – which of course, they don’t know but that’s why they follow him, anyway. Then my association with Temari, and my own career as a stage-actor and dancer. Then there was the whole controversy surrounding me because of Izumi’s viral video. I mean, it’s not just one thing, you know? And it’s not as though we make the headlines on national television or anything, except Naruto. But this is the pap for online media, which is a big deal these days. We’ve done interviews on television, of course. It’s a little hard to explain. Essentially, yes. Being associated with _me_ will garner some amount of online attention, at the very least. Sasuke is usually left alone, unless he’s spotted with Naruto – which then becomes a huge deal.”

His phone starts to ring before she can respond.

“Where are you?” Sasuke asks from the other side. “We just got home.”

“At my apartment. What’s the damage, you reckon?”

Sakura turns away from him, staring at his TV with a blank face. Itachi watches her quietly.

“Bad,” Sasuke says bluntly.

Then there’s some shuffling, and Naruto speaks in the phone. “Hey, listen. Don’t go to the pub at least for a few weeks. The pap must have already found out that Sakura works there, and since we exited the place with her, they’re sure to hover around it for another sighting of one of us. Tell her that she will have to be on her guard, too. There’s some serious media harassment coming her way. Where is she now?”

“She’s here with me.”

“Okay. Ask her whether she’d like to stay at her apartment or yours. Not permanently, of course. Until this whole thing dies down.”

“Is that really necessary?”

Itachi can imagine Naruto with a defeated face as he exhales out a puff of breath. “I’m afraid so. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it were Temari or someone they already associate with us, like Konan or Hinata. Sakura is not used to this. And it’s not just about who was with us. It’s also about the pub, since the place is not the kind people would typically expect us to be seen at.”

Itachi understands the implication instantly. “Alright. I’ll speak with her. What about you two?”

Some more shuffling, and then it’s Sasuke on the line. “Nothing new. They’ll post some more articles questioning our relationship status.”

Itachi soon cuts the call after another couple of minutes, and places the device on the coffee table. He waits for her to speak.

“Can we just …” she eventually breaks the silence after five minutes. “Not talk about this right now?”

“Alright. What do you want to do?”

She smirks coldly at the TV, and Itachi had forgotten that she could do it. “I gather that I can’t go to my flat right now?”

“You can,” he says carefully. “I wouldn’t recommend it, though.”

“Right.” She bites down on her lip. “Let’s sleep, if that’s alright with you.”

Itachi nods even though she still isn’t looking at him. “Sure. I’ll get you some clothes.”

She doesn’t reply. Itachi digs out another shirt and pants that belong to Temari, and makes a mental note to ask her why the hell she has so many of her clothes lying in his apartment. It hadn’t been an issue until now, of course, so he’d never bothered paying attention to that detail. Now, though, he thinks that he can’t keep supplying Sakura with Temari’s clothes as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Sakura changes in the closet again, but Itachi is under the covers this time around. He looks up from his phone when she enters.

“Hey, check this out.”

She crawls to his side from the other side of the bed, and dutifully peers at the screen. There’s an image of Peter Pan on white background, with black letters written on the side, saying –

_Why is Peter Pan always flying? He Neverlands. I love this joke because it never grows old._

Sakura starts to giggle, and Itachi grins at her.

“Okay, that’s a smart one,” she agrees.

“Right?”

And then Sakura asks to scroll through more jokes and memes, and they spend a good half an hour, laughing and giggling, pointing out lame puns from the good ones, and Sakura laughs the hardest at one of Snow White and Pinocchio’s – before deciding that she can never look at Itachi the same way again, ever.

“Oh, really? Let me ruin Frozen for you then.”

He starts a fresh search for Frozen memes, and Sakura doesn’t complain, but she does point out that – at the end of the day – she prefers Coco over Elsa, anyway.

“You know what we should do?” Itachi says at one point.

“Watch a movie?” she grins.

“Exactly. Let me get my laptop. Do you want something from the kitchen?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m good.”

Itachi gets his laptop from where he’d dumped on the armchair in the living room, grabs some snacks, anyway, and they settle on his bed with pillows in their laps as the opening music for The Little Mermaid fills the room.

* * *

When Itachi opens his eyes, it is to see Sakura’s head lying on his stomach, facing him, eyes shut, and her body stretched out in a tangent, making them look like a T. He begins to laugh softly, and the movement is enough to stir her.

“Stop it,” she grumbles without opening her eyes.

“Did you lose your pillow sometime during the night?” he asks with amusement.

“You have nice abdomen muscles,” she replies. “Why would I need a pillow when you have nice abdomen muscles?”

“How long are you planning to sleep like this?” he asks languidly. “I have to get up.”

She sighs and finally opens her eyes. Itachi mentally appreciates the bright apple green under the morning sunlight streaming from the open curtains, even if they are glaring at him mildly.

“It’s a Sunday,” she reminds him pointedly.

“I’m aware.”

Sakura groans, finally rolling away, and sitting up. Her hair is a tangled mess and she tries to tame it with her fingers. The doorbell rings a moment later.

Itachi scrambles up, leaving Sakura with a _Don’t go back to sleep, Coco_. It’s Kakashi.

“What are you doing here?” Itachi asks him blankly.

Kakashi sighs tiredly, eyes bemused, clearly signalling that he is not happy with this situation. “Sasuke suggested it would be a _wonderful_ idea to stay with you for a bit. And her.”

Itachi moves aside to let him in. “But you don’t need to do that anymore,” he points out.

Kakashi enters and immediately falls down on the couch. “I’m aware. Do you think I want to spend my vacation guarding an idiot kid and his little girlfriend all over again?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Itachi rolls his eyes, before poking his head around the small passageway. “Sakura?”

“What?” her voice floats from the bathroom. “I’m brushing! Who is it?”

“Kakashi.”

Pause. “Coming.”

“What a nice domestic life you have going on,” Kakashi remarks dryly. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware the little girlfriend is now your wife.”

“Shut it,” Itachi snaps. “No one forced you to take this job.”

“Of course, of course,” Kakashi says dismissively. “Except for your uncle, who is worried you’ll fall in some depressive pit if the girl leaves you again. Except for your brother, who said that you wouldn’t listen to anyone else but me. Except for your future possibly brother-in-law, who decided that Sakura will not be comfortable with anyone else but me since she already has had me around. Except for your father, who wants to make sure that the girl is no trouble to your family name. Except for your cousin, who said something about you and dumplings.”

Itachi stares at the man for a good five seconds. “I’m not going to put you on my payroll, because I don’t need a guardian again, Kakashi.”

“I’m not your guardian,” Kakashi replies calmly. “I’m here as a friend. Someone needs to be with her when you’re not around. At least for a week or two. You know that.”

Itachi does. He doesn’t have to like it, but he knows that Kakashi is right.

Sakura comes out two minutes later, and grins at Kakashi. “What are you doing here so early?”

“It’s 9,” he replies smoothly.

“Like I said,” she snuggles in the armchair. “Early.”

“Sakura, listen,” Itachi begins, and her face loses the light teasing expression immediately. He soldiers on to explain how it would be a good idea to have Kakashi with her henceforth, for a little bit of time, “you might be followed”, and “sometimes the pap can get out of hand”.

After he’s done, she slowly nods.

Sakura’s phone begins to ring. She recedes to the bedroom to grab it, and when she returns, she hands over Itachi’s phone to him, as well.

“Hello?” she asks in the device. Pause. “I’m with Itachi.” Pause. “Okay.”

“It’s Karui,” she tells him, and puts the phone on speaker. “You’re on.”

“Itachi, listen,” Karui begins immediately. “Both of you. No matter what they ask, don’t comment. Have you checked social media yet?”

“No,” they both reply at the same time, exchanging a wry look.

“Do it right away. And then call me back.”

She hangs up. Karui is his Head of PR. Sakura and Itachi both search in their respective phones for the latest news articles regarding them, and Itachi comes across various headlines such as –

_UCHIHA ITACHI POSSIBLY DATING A PUB SINGER_

_CEO OF COCO SEEN AT EVENING ELEPHANT, A RUNDOWN PUB_

_NAMIKAZE AND UCHIHA HOLDING HANDS AS THEY EXIT A PUB_

_YAGP WINNER AND PUB SINGER – A NEW LOVE STORY?_

_NAMIKAZE NARUTO ENJOYS A RELAXING NIGHTOUT WITH UCHIHA SASUKE_

_UCHIHA SASUKE DISAPPEARS INSIDE HIS CAR WITH NAMIKAZE NARUTO_

_IS THE FUTURE GOVERNOR HIDING HIS GAY RELATIONSHIP WITH TSUKUYOMI HEIR?_

_UCHIHA ITACHI POSES WITH HARUNO SAKURA IN HIS SOCIAL MEDIA FEED_

The list goes on and on.

_STARBUCKS MANAGER SAYS UCHIHA ITACHI FREQUENTS WITH HARUNO SAKURA_

_WHO IS HARUNO SAKURA – THE PUB SINGER WHO STOLE CEO’S HEART?_

“ _What_?” Sakura exclaims at one point, and reads out. “Many are heartbroken that the Uchiha brothers are taken?”

“Ignore it,” Itachi advices, and Kakashi snickers. The man hasn’t spoken in a good amount of time, letting the two of them to their own devices.

“You know,” Sakura says suddenly. “Kakashi being with me is only going to make things worse. Don’t they know that he used to be your guardian?”

“Not exclusively,” Itachi answers. “Kakashi and Kimimaro stayed in the background. They don’t come under the limelight. But yes, people might connect the dots, from old photos of me where he did accompany me everywhere.”

“So maybe this is a bad idea.”

Itachi shakes his head in apology. “It’s better than you going out alone.”

“Will they really hound me? I mean, they can just leave me alone and hound you instead. You’re the … celebrity or whatever. Not me.”

“Precisely why they’ll ignore me – more or less,” he explains. “But you’re a fresh face. They’re curious.”

“I’m new content,” she says dryly.

Pause. “Yes.”

“Perfect,” she mutters. “I’ll speak with Gai about it, too. Kakashi will have to explain why he needs to be there every time I work.”

“It won’t be for long,” Itachi says for the umpteenth time. “Just for a week or two. They’ll get bored when they don’t find anything interesting. That’s what happened with Temari and me, Sasuke and Hinata, Naruto and Suigetsu, Konan and me – anyway, so yes. They’ll leave it alone soon.”

“Okay. Does he need to stay with me at my apartment, too?”

Itachi hesitates, remembering what Naruto said last night. “No. He will not be staying with you. But it would be a good idea for you to stay here.”

“How will that help?”

Itachi tries for a casual shrug. “It won’t. It’s just safer to stay with someone.”

“I can’t stay here,” Sakura refuses, staring at him. “Itachi, that’s my apartment. I’m going to live in my apartment. If Kakashi is going to be with me every waking moment, anyway, then I’d prefer to stick to my place. My routine.”

“Fair enough,” Itachi nods. “But if you ever feel like staying over, then don’t hesitate, yeah?”

She smiles prettily. “Yeah. Fair enough.”

* * *

Kaya is happy to see Sakura. In fact, she seems rather excited.

Itachi sits with Kakashi on the couch, watching the two of them speaking amongst themselves about the most random things in the world.

And when Sakura politely offers to help, Kaya nearly has a heart attack.

“Do you not like my work? Did I miss a spot? Have I forgotten to do something?”

Sakura begins to assure her that no, she did not miss any spot, and how amazing she is at her job, and how Sakura was just being silly, and _please don’t take offence._

* * *

Itachi is thankful that he doesn’t have theatre practice immediately – until he signs on a new drama, which he won’t, not right away – and he can only focus on working at the office.

Not that he stays within the confines of his cabin the entire time. He has meetings to attend, people to answer to, Karui is losing her mind with the onslaught of the media attention that the company is receiving – not for their philanthropic approach, or the controversial policies, but _Is Haruno Sakura here?_ or _How did the CEO meet her?_ or _Can we expect wedding bells soon for the Deflected Uchiha?_

Tobi and Shikamaru have intervened quite a few times when the businessmen in stuffy suits seem to forget their original agenda and instead gossip like teenagers –

“Evening Elephant, you say?” one man cackles. “I’d love to check out the other singers there!”

* * *

Which is another development, altogether.

One day over breakfast, Sakura is staring at her phone screen so hard that Itachi pauses with his fork in the air.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh …” she frowns some more at the device. “I suddenly have a lot of followers. And there are many comments on the pictures that I posted with you.”

Itachi winces. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Listen – _you’re a wonderful singer, I can see why Uchiha Itachi likes you … omg, your dress in this performance is gorgeous! Is it a gift from Itachi? … how is he in bed? All that ballet must be helpful, if you know what I mean …_ ” And then she blinks. “ _You’re such a gold-digger! I hope Itachi dumps you … what does he see in her? … Lol what a joke … she’s ugly as a rotten banana … what’s up with the pink hair? Does she think she’s a celebrity or something? … they don’t even suit each other …_ Wow, people can be really mean.”

“Sakura –”

“Let’s just eat.”

* * *

Temari can’t stop teasing him about the whole thing, and Sai complains that if this had happened when Itachi was in high school, Shin would have gotten free publicity for his motel.

They’re at Itachi’s apartment for the evening.

Itachi ignores them as much as possible, as he texts Sasuke on the phone.

**Do you need me to come over? We can come up with an answer to drive them away.**

_I think I might go to hell._

**I don’t doubt that.**

_I’m happy about the attention._

_Sakura is getting free publicity out of it. It might actually help her career._

**Is she aware of it?**

_Yeah, but she doesn’t see it that way. And I don’t want to point it out._

_She might punch me._

**I don’t doubt that, either.**

**What do you want to do then?**

_Let it play out._

**As you say.**

* * *

Shikamaru keeps him occupied with work, thankfully, but drops in sarcastic remarks every now and then about how “Coco is important to him” and his employees finally begin questioning his relation with their childhood friend.

Sasori, Kakuzu, Mei, and Deidara seem to have decided that it would be a fantastic idea to hound Itachi around the lunch breaks –

“Is that why you helped us?” Sasori is asking.

“Did you think we knew where Sakura was?” Deidara glares.

“All she said to us when she returned was that you were the guy who helped her get the job at that club – and that you became friends.”

“You might be our boss, but you should know that if you’re only playing around with her – we know how to straighten people out.”

Itachi shuts his eyes in annoyance, and calls Karui.

“Stop pestering him,” Karui snaps at them. “He’s got enough on his plate already.”

“Karui,” Mei says with disbelief. “Sakura is our friend!”

“Yeah, and do you see her complaining?”

That keeps them quiet for the time being.

* * *

More and more articles keep popping up, now showing Sakura and Kakashi entering and exiting his apartment every morning, articles on the pub, Lee and Gai’s lack of comments – and Itachi knows that is Kakashi’s doing – and realises all over again that Kakashi used to be his guardian _for a reason_.

The man is a strategical prodigy, and Itachi had always exploited that for his own benefit. Izumi’s ejection from school, skirting around scandalous stories while growing up, tying up loose ends, whatever he wanted, Kakashi made it happen. After Sakura had left, it was the first time Itachi had made a _request_ , not a command, to put Danzo behind bars for the illegal destruction of Geroa trailer park. Kakashi dug up more than enough dirt on him – Shimura Danzo will definitely not show his face for the next twenty years.

Itachi also knows that the only reason Kakashi went off-duty to guard Itachi for almost a decade was partly due to Obito, and partly because Itachi’s volatile nature made it a necessity. Kakashi has known Itachi his whole life, witnessed his increasing tendency to burst out in destructive mode, so when Fugaku approached him, Kakashi was ready with an answer.

Itachi hadn’t realised this until almost his college years were over, when he’d told Kakashi to teach him how to drive.

Sakura’s work-life becomes a little more problematic, because even though Gai or Lee don’t make any comments, their pub _did_ get free publicity. Now, the place is typically filled with customers through and through, and Kakashi ends up glaring at Itachi every morning that Sakura visits him for breakfast – as if this is all Itachi’s fault.

* * *

On the other hand, as Sasuke had said, articles about his relationship status with Naruto begin afresh with the newest photos of them holding hands when they were exiting the pub, all the way to Sasuke’s car. Sasuke and Naruto both maintain that they’re only good friends, and nothing more. Naruto’s political party receives some amount of backlash from the anti-LGBT community, and it creates a whole debate on social media –

Even though homosexual relationships are technically legal in the country, it does not automatically warrant global acceptance. The world might be “moving forward”, it does not always mean it’s a pretty journey.

One morning, a week later, Sakura questions him on the matter.

“Naruto doesn’t want his image being influenced due to his relationship with Sasuke,” Itachi explains. “He wants his work to speak for him, and he thinks that if he’s shown to be dating Sasuke, the whole matter will become about how he represents the minority, on the way to become an important political figure, and his competence as the same will be compromised. He thinks that people might be taken with him – or not – based on his personal life, not his professional one.”

“But he’s a public figure, like you said,” Sakura frowns. “Wouldn’t he know that his personal life will anyway affect his professional one?”

“He knows that. I mean, look at the articles. He’s not excused, is he? He just wants to prove his worth based purely on his intellectual capacity, not his sexual orientation or association with Sasuke. Sasuke understands that. Naruto has already said that there will come a right moment for him to become public with his relationship, and until then, they will have to contain it.”

“They’ve come a long way,” Sakura remarks.

“Yeah,” Itachi agrees, feeling his chest squeeze. “Sasuke and Naruto … they make each other better.”

“I can see that,” she nods seriously, but then suddenly giggles. “I remember when Naruto used to complain about Sasuke to me, before they became friends.”

“To be fair, they became friends because of you,” Itachi comments mildly. “Naruto was sure that Sasuke and I were playing a prank of some sort when we told you about the job offer at Obito’s club. When he realised he was wrong, Sasuke and him began to speak like two normal people – rather than bickering all the time.”

Sakura laughs. “Oh yeah! Naruto’s conversations became about how cool Sasuke is all of a sudden. And I think you’d said the same to me – that Sasuke thinks Naruto is quite cool.”

Itachi chuckles at the memory. “Yeah. I asked him that time if he had a secret crush on Naruto all along.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that just because Naruto is gay doesn’t mean Sasuke will date him, that he still needs to like him.”

“Naruto said something similar, too,” she says thoughtfully.

“Possibly,” Itachi replies. “They’re very alike in some regards.”

* * *

Sakura visits him one Thursday evening, on her off day. Itachi has just returned from office. He’s in the middle of cooking his dinner, when the doorbell rings, and Sakura enters wearing a pair of black trousers and cream coloured top, hair bunched up in a messy bun.

“Where’s Kakashi?”

She shrugs, falling down on the couch. “I sent him home early. He doesn’t know I’m here.”

“What?” Itachi stares displeasingly. “Sakura, I told you –”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waves her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. No one saw me. I think. Doesn’t matter. I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Dinner?” he offers.

“No, no. I ate. Do you have alcohol?”

Pause.

“Yeah. Come on.”

Sakura drinks beer as Itachi eats his meal, both sitting on the floor with backs against his couch, disregarding the dining table, talking about random things, until –

“You still live in the same world, Pretty Boy,” she says, and Itachi freezes.

She’s down three pints of beers, and he wonders whether she planned it. Sakura speaks in a broken whisper, and Itachi’s head lowers to watch the threads of his carpet.

“When I was on the road, it felt like I made the biggest mistake of my life. Leaving you like that – knowing that it will hurt me, hurt you, was one of the most difficult things I had to do.”

“Why did you come back?” he asks quietly, unable to look at her.

She takes a deep breath. “Wherever I went, I saw you. The same name you gave me, over and over and over, and I could almost imagine your voice when I read it. To be honest, even without it, it wasn’t easy to forget you. Every time I sang, I thought of you. Every time I danced, I thought of you. Every time I saw black hair or black eyes, I thought of you. Every time I heard a piano, I thought of you. Every time I went to a motel, I thought of you. Granny Chiyo spent her remaining life listening to me cry every night, when I thought of you.

“I don’t know why I came back,” she admits. “One day, I was watching your interview on a TV in one of the shops, and I already knew that it was you behind all the motels across the country, I knew it, but that was the first time hearing you speak my name _in years_ , the one you gave me, live on the television, and I took the first bus back because I just missed your voice so much, and I wanted to hear it again, just one more time.”

Itachi’s heart stutters and he finally returns her gaze. Sakura’s cheeks are wet with tears. He scrambles forward, cups her face in his palms, wiping at her skin. She clutches at his wrists tightly, crying harder.

“I’m here, now,” he says comfortingly. “I’m here. Sakura, you don’t need to worry about anything. I know that it must be overwhelming for you to be with me, I know it. But I promise you that I’m nothing like how I used to be back then.”

“I know,” she cries. “I know. Sasori and Deidara and everyone – they told me what you did for them.”

“They did?”

She nods, her face still in his hands. “I just hated myself for so long. When we were – I hated myself for being with you. Then I hated myself for leaving you. And then I thought I’d hate myself for coming back, but you – Itachi, I don’t want to leave again. I don’t. I can’t bear going through the pain. All that time on the road … I was terribly lonely, and I just missed you so much. I didn’t know where I was going, or what I was doing. Ever since … ever since my parents died and I lost my home, I had no direction. I had no purpose, you know? I was angry at everything, so I tried to – to find things that will make me less angry at the world. Being with you might have been complicated, but I’d forget about all the bad things when we were together. About everything that had happened. I realised after I left, you made it all better, Itachi. I’m sorry it took me so long to realise that, I’m … I …”

“Shh,” he kisses her forehead. “It’s okay. Everything is okay. I promise.”

Sakura buries her face in his chest, and his arms wrap around her shaking form, tears sliding down his own cheeks, even as he keeps up a stream of quiet comforting words to her. Her fingers twist in his T-shirt, and Itachi tugs so that she climbs on his lap.

It takes them both a while to calm down, but Itachi is no longer in any hurry. This is the lightest he’s felt in years, as though he’d been weighed down by the whole earth on his shoulders, and holding Sakura close to him has lifted it, so that he can simply, finally, _breathe_.

He eventually carries her to his bed. She curls under the sheets, and Itachi gets in after her, spooning from the back.

“Sakura,” he says in her ear softly. “You know it’s the same for me, right? Being with you … it makes everything better. Until I met you, I thought I had everything I could have possibly wanted in life. But watching you live on the streets, and still fight … I was hooked from the get-go. I didn’t realise it until too late. I just kept doing all these things that I didn’t understand myself. All I knew was I wanted you around – because being with you made everything better. I was living in my own version of reality, until I met you, and then nothing felt the same again.”

Sakura turns her face and before he can move away from the sudden proximity, she captures his lips between hers. Itachi freezes for a few seconds, unable to believe, but when she doesn’t stop, he immediately reciprocates, his heart hammering, his body trembling, arms pulling her closer, and Sakura moans in his mouth, shifting to face him, digging her fingers in his T-shirt.

And then he’s tugging her top off, and then removing his own. She breathes heavily as Itachi trails his lips down her throat, sucking on her pulse, unclasping her bra, and grinding his hips all at the same time.

“Is this okay?” he asks, forcing himself to pause, straddling her hips.

It hits him all over again that Sakura isn’t seventeen anymore, and neither is he. They’re both adults – twenty-six, to be precise – and their bodies have gone through massive changes from the last time they’d slept together. His eyes rake across her face, her cleavage, down her shapely breasts, flat stomach from years of walking and hiking on the road. It takes his breath away, to see her in this manner, and his mind automatically rearranges his memories to fit this new image instead.

_She’s somehow managed to become even more beautiful, as if that was actually possible._

Yet, here she is, burning green eyes on his own –

Sakura doesn’t reply, instead, pulls him back for another kiss, and he wants to stop and not stop at the same time, because he thinks that he should take another few moments to appreciate this but it’s been _too fucking long already_.

Itachi feels the years melt away into the void as they undress each other of whatever is left, still expressive about every sensitive spot on their bodies, as though he’s known nothing else but this, Sakura, writhing under him between sheets, because that’s what matters, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.

“Tell me how much you missed me,” Itachi murmurs, one hand inside her, the other cupping her jaw, lips on her ear.

Sakura’s back arches off the bed. “You already know.”

Itachi’s hand stops. “Tell me.”

Sakura curses, glaring at him, and starts to move herself. Itachi extricates himself entirely from her and backs away to the foot of the bed. “Tell me.”

When he shows no indication of continuing, Sakura slowly sits up, eyes steady, one hand extending towards him. Itachi grabs it, intertwines their fingers. And waits.

“I’m not leaving,” she says instead. “Ask me what I want.”

His heart is hammering inside his chest. “What do you want, Sakura?”

“You.”

When he enters her, they both clutch the other almost painfully, and Sakura moans _Fucking finally_ , and Itachi thrusts roughly, desperately, with face buried in her neck, wondering whether his heart is about to give up because it feels like it would burst from the sheer amount of _bliss_ coursing through his every nerve. 

* * *

They’re in the shower later, kissing languidly under the warm spray. Her arms are looped around his neck, and Itachi’s palms are splayed on her back.

* * *

Back in bed, he’s spooning her again, lips on her shoulder, tracing her bare stomach with his fingertips.

She turns around in his arms to watch him. “You … you named it Coco.”

Itachi doesn’t look away. “Yes. I did.”

Her eyes are watery, and she blinks rapidly to get rid of it. He traces her cheek with one finger, and tightens his hold on her back with the other.

“I’m sorry,” she says shakily. “For leaving.”

“Don’t,” Itachi says seriously. “I get it. I get why you had to leave. Don’t apologize for that, ever. I should be the one apologizing, Sakura. I wasn’t – I never deserved you. I want to change that. If you let me. I want to make things right this time.”

She smiles softly. “Yeah?”

He brings their foreheads together and shuts his eyes. “Yeah. I’m not going to hide. No more sneaking. Would – would you like that? To – to go out with me?”

Sakura’s breathing hitches. “For real?”

And Itachi kisses her deeply, hoping to convey his determination, but then spells it out – just to be safe.

“For real.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	18. Chapter 18

Kakashi is _not_ happy to find Sakura at Itachi’s flat the next morning.

“At least drop in a text,” he scolds. “Don’t go wandering off. I swear you’re as bad as him.”

“What did I do?” Itachi defends, chin on Sakura’s shoulder, holding her from behind. “I never wandered off!”

“Only because you didn’t know how to drive, so I had to wander with you,” Kakashi guesses correctly.

“Sorry, Kakashi,” Sakura cuts in. “I won’t do it again.”

“Good.”

Itachi kisses her long and hard when he has to leave for work, and Kakashi waits with bemusement stemming from every pore of his body, as if he can’t believe he’s managed to find himself in this situation all over again.

* * *

Later that evening, Itachi finds Naruto straddling Sasuke on the couch, arms and legs locked around him in a hug. Sasuke is rubbing one hand on his back, the other running through his light blonde hair.

“This should be their next headline,” Itachi says. “Kitsune turns Koala.”

“Shut up,” Naruto breathes out shakily with head buried in Sasuke’s neck. “I’m having a hard time at work.”

Sasuke shakes his head at Itachi minutely, and Itachi lets it go. Sasuke spends some time whispering words to Naruto, and Naruto tightens his hold around him more and more in response.

Meanwhile, Itachi busies himself on his phone to give them privacy. This is not the first time Naruto has glued himself to Sasuke. Over the years, Itachi has realised that Sasuke seems to be the only person to effectively comfort the blonde – unfortunately, it has been necessary more times than Itachi would have liked. Sure, Sasuke has come out on social media but the backlash he received was nothing compared to the one Naruto has to go through. Every time he slips up, he has people questioning his character, his work ethics, and somehow the policies that he introduces through his political party are intertwined with his sexual orientation. As if being gay is intellectually crippling.

And the thing is, Itachi feels it burning in his own gut every time it happens.

_What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?_

And so Itachi texts Tobi, and stuffs his phone back in his pocket.

* * *

Half an hour later, when Itachi throws the question out, the first thing he’s subjected to is laughter. He takes conscious effort in levelling a glare at every single one of them – Naruto has calmed down considerably but refuses to move away from Sasuke; Sai, Temari, and Shikamaru have arrived five minutes ago.

“Are you done?” he snaps after a few minutes.

Turns out, they’re not.

Kitsune nudges his feet, and Itachi picks him up dutifully, passing his time by stroking his belly and ears.

This really is an emergency, he wants to say with irritation. He has no idea where to take Sakura for a date. He’s never done this before. He finds it unsettling that he knows Sakura’s ticklish spots and would be able to recite them in his sleep, but has absolutely no idea where she’d like to be taken out on a proper date. His earlier attempts to “hang out” with her had been blown out of the stadium.

He’s already ruled out Kamui and Kotoamatsukami. He doesn’t want to remind her of their previous torrid affair in the staff washroom, and neither does he need Shisui butting in, asking twenty questions throughout the night.

Besides, they’re family. He can’t have Sakura meet his _family_ on their _first_ _date_. That might actually drive her away.

The others soon calm down enough to suggest a few ideas.

“A movie?” Sai says. “Since that was your thing.”

“Too impersonal,” Sasuke shakes his head. “Take her on our yacht.”

“Too grand for a first date,” Naruto argues. “Dinner seems decent.”

Itachi stares at Naruto. “Need I remind you of _your_ first date with my brother, Namikaze?”

“But which kind of a place?” Shikamaru interrupts and Naruto huffs. “It can’t be too casual – there’s too much history between them to do casual.”

“Call her home,” Temari says. “Cook for her.”

“Too suggestive,” Naruto frowns.

And then they’re all laughing again at his expense, because calling her home is suggestive – sure – but can anything be considered suggestive after sleeping together already?

Itachi is _not_ amused. He’s trying not to panic, actually.

After another few minutes, they start throwing out ideas once more.

“Karaoke?”

“No, definitely not,” Sasuke instantly refutes.

“Why not?”

“He’ll probably spend the time pointing out how horrible people sing.”

“A walk?”

“Too boring.”

“Sure, take the girl who lived on the streets for a _walk_. Nothing like a nice reminder, eh?”

“Ice skating?”

“Too risky.”

“Cooking class?”

“Uh – he might accidentally poison her.”

“Pub?”

“Too loud.”

“Trampoline park?”

“What if one of them pukes?”

“Itachi is used to weird jumps.”

“She might not be.”

This continues for a long time. Itachi ends up stretching out on the couch, head in Temari’s lap and feet in Sasuke’s, staring at the ceiling. Naruto is sitting cross-legged on the floor by Sasuke’s feet, one hand hugging his calf, and entertaining Kitsune with his usual string ball with the other. Shikamaru and Sai decide to make dinner when they realise that this “emergency meeting” might actually be it.

* * *

The next morning, Itachi wakes up to his phone exploding with alerts. His Head of Marketing has done a wonderful job as always. For the next week, all Coco Shelters branches across the country will sport the rainbow background on the nameplates, billboards, every piece of visible advertisement instead of the signature plain white. This time, she’s put out the selfie campaign to encourage the public to show their support to the community.

“The catch is on the lower right corner,” Itachi tells Sakura. “Zoom in.”

Sakura narrows her eyes. “Is that … it looks like a silhouette of an animal.”

“Yeah. It’s a fox.”

“Why a fox?”

“Did Naruto never tell you his nickname from school?”

Sakura shakes her head.

When Itachi explains, her face splits in a grin. “And no one knows that?”

So Itachi types out a search on his phone and shows it to her. Sakura reads it out loud.

“ _Mystery logo on Coco billboards … maybe a cat or a wolf … all rainbow themed ads sporting the black animal … created quite a buzz overnight …_ ”

Naruto has already sent him a love-filled text earlier when he was getting dressed: **You bastard.**

Itachi spends the morning making out with Sakura, until she says that she’s never seen the study room. So they make-out some more in the study room.

“Why do you have a telescope?”

“My decorator said it’s a nice touch.”

* * *

When they finally sit for breakfast, Itachi gears himself up, and clears his throat pointedly.

“Are you …” he stammers. “I mean. Would you be free tomorrow?”

Sakura puffs out her cheeks in thought. “Yeah? My shift is at 10 again.”

“Right.” He forces himself not to lose his steam. “I was hoping to take you out. If you’re available in the afternoon.”

A slow smile-smirk is crawling up her lips. “Like a date?”

He nods. “Yeah. _On_ a date.”

“Okay,” she grins widely. “Where are we going?”

Itachi hesitates. “Do you prefer surprises, or do you want me to tell you?”

She laughs. “I don’t know,” she admits. “Let’s go with surprise.”

“Done. It’s a surprise, then.”

Her smile starts to slip away. “Should I … should I be wearing something … fancy?”

It doesn’t take very long to understand the implication. _Are we going to an expensive place?_

Itachi shakes his head. “No. Whatever you want. Don’t worry.”

“Okay,” she bites her lip, eyes lowering to her mug.

“I’ll pick you up at eleven thirty. Is that okay?”

She agrees. “What about Kakashi?”

The man is lounging in the living room. “I don’t think we need him now. The focus is nearly gone from us – at least, from my personal life. They’ll become busy with the fox.”

* * *

Itachi is unbelievably nervous.

Now, here’s the thing: Uchiha Itachi is a pretty boy, and sure, he had despised it after Sakura had left, but she’s back, and she said _you’re the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen_. Which was rather sweet, of course, and also confusing because – right in this moment – he feels anything _but_.

Itachi has picked out a white T-shirt with colourful graphic print, a pair of knee-length cargo pants, and black sandals, and wonders whether it’s too casual.

“It’s not,” Naruto insists from his place on Itachi’s bed, hands clasped behind his head. “This is good.”

Sasuke comes to a stand beside him in front of the large mirror. He’s wearing a black fitting shirt, dark grey trousers, and the stark contrast between their clothes is a jarring image.

When Sasuke had asked out Naruto on their first date, he took the blonde to one of his favourite restaurants all the way in New York City in their private jet. On the other hand, Itachi had never bothered putting much thought in his first dates. They were typically to a fancy restaurant, after which, he’d suggest using the room he’d booked for the night.

He doesn’t think that would fly with Sakura. He doesn’t _want_ it to fly with Sakura.

“It’s fine for the place you’re going to,” Sasuke assures him.

Itachi leaves his apartment with a warning, _you both better not be naked when I return_ , and drives to Sakura’s apartment to pick her up. Kakashi seemed more than enthusiastic about holing himself up back in Obito’s house.

She’s waiting for him on the curb, wearing a blue denim short shirt and a mustard yellow T-shirt, and white casual shoes. The usual black sling is hanging on one shoulder. Her soft pink hair is framing her face in straight strands, as long as ever, the tips reaching the top of her skirt, and matching soft pink lips.

Sakura settles in with a grin, and gushes over how she’s excited, and how good he looks in those sunglasses. He tells her to take out a spare one from the glove compartment.

“So we’re going to be outdoors?” she guesses, adjusting her hair and the metal rods behind her ears.

Itachi doesn’t respond to that; instead, asks her to play whatever she wants on the system, and continues to drive.

He finds a carpark without a lot of fuss. They unbuckle their seatbelts, step out under the glare of the afternoon sun, and Itachi grabs her hand, lacing their fingers together, and Sakura throws a smile up at him.

It’s an open market.

Itachi has never, ever been to one. Sai was the one who came up with the idea, saying that Sakura and he would visit stalls during the day when she was staying at the motel, and that she seemed to enjoy the liveliness of the place.

He feels highly out of his comfort zone, but Sakura does look excited, and she takes the lead despite Itachi being the one to plan the outing. To be honest, he is mostly relieved by her initiative, and follows her from stall to stall, listening to her talk about the most random things, such as how this artefact is cultural to this tribe, and she knows it because she’s spent a week with them, and then how she’s never understood why throw cushions are always so colourful, and how some lollies are made from beetle poop and there’s no way of knowing which ones they are, and she knows this because she worked in a candy factory for a month.

Itachi does the only thing he’s comfortable with, since it’s practically ingrained in him since childhood – he offers to buy whatever she wants. Sakura protests, saying she can’t have him doing that, until Itachi threatens to buy her a diamond ring or a Gucci purse.

They’re each carrying a bag filled with various objects by the time Itachi suggests having a quick lunch. Sakura points out one stall that is selling hotdogs and Itachi pays for it, ignoring her existence and another round of protests in the process.

* * *

When he drops her back at her apartment building, Sakura hesitates before stepping out.

“Itachi.”

“Yeah?”

She digs out something from one of the bags that is filled with inane stuff from the market, and holds out a choker. It has three steel circles tied in a row with a black string.

“I …” she clears her throat. “I don’t know whether you wear jewellery, and this is obviously not the kind of place you’d buy it at, but I thought it would look very good on you. It’s okay if you don’t want it – I won’t be offended–”

“Thank you.”

Sakura’s apple green eyes lock with his own, and she halts. “Oh. No – no problem.”

* * *

For their second date, he takes her to a remote pub in the middle of nowhere.

At least, that’s what she comments when he parks the car in an empty street. The ground is slightly damp from the afternoon’s light shower, and it’s almost nine in the night. He’s asked her to wear one of the dresses that she wears at the pub for performing, so she’s picked out the long, black one with matching flats.

Even he’s dressed nicely in a deep red button-down shirt and black trousers.

The pub is mostly empty, apart from four other occupants. One is sitting at the bar stool, and the other three are chitchatting in one corner. An old Beetles song is pitifully playing through the speakers. Itachi leads her to the bartender, and asks for Hotaru.

“She’s Utakata’s student,” Itachi explains as they wait, sipping on gin and tonic. “He brought me here a few times during my training. Hotaru is excellent in swing dance, and she holds private sessions in the backroom on invitation basis.”

“Why this place?” Sakura asks, confused.

“Because no one can find her here,” he replies, smiling slightly.

Hotaru arrives ten minutes later, delightfully hugging Itachi, and greeting Sakura in a more contained manner. She remarks how it’s the first time Itachi has ever brought a “date” to her, and jokes how she has better things to do in life than to get him laid.

Sakura fumbles consistently while dancing, but Hotaru is patient, despite her loud personality. She guides Sakura through a short routine, and barks at Itachi when he’s too distracted to pay attention to his own steps.

* * *

“She hasn’t slept over yet?” Temari raises her eyebrows at him.

“No. We decided to do it right this time.”

“You mean to say that you already fucked before your first date,” Sai laughs openly.

“I can’t bear to watch this anymore,” Shikamaru groans.

Itachi gives them one of his best glares.

“Have you at least kissed after dates?” Temari prods further.

Itachi’s cheeks warm. “I don’t know whether I should.”

Sai laughs harder, clutching at his stomach. “ _Yes_ , you moron!”

* * *

Sakura insists on arranging their third date.

Itachi has been instructed to wear casual clothes. So he picks out a grey T-shirt, dark denim, a mint green hoodie, and black sport shoes. Sakura has chosen to wear a pair of off-white denim shorts, her white casual shoes, and a grey T-shirt.

“We match,” she laughs, pointing at him.

She gives him the directions, and Itachi finds himself at an animal shelter on the outskirts of the city. Sakura fills the one-day volunteer forms, and they’re given a list of tasks to perform. Itachi’s only experiences in regards to dealing with animals have been the fish when he and Sasuke were six, Kiba’s Akamaru, and Sasuke’s Kitsune. He thinks that is more than enough to get through the day, and is proven severely wrong.

When he leans down to give Sakura a goodnight kiss later in front of her apartment building, he’s covered in dry grass, muddy stains, and scratches across his arms. His mint green hoodie is no longer mint green and he’d tied it around his hips halfway through the day.

* * *

“It’s time to bring out the big guns,” Sasuke advices wisely, running his hands through Naruto’s light blonde hair on his lap. “A good restaurant.”

“Are you sure?” Itachi asks uncertainly, pacing around Sasuke’s living room.

“I second it,” Naruto says, raising one hand in the air.

“It’s not a parliament procedure, Namikaze,” Itachi rolls his eyes, but his nervousness is still palpable.

“You want this woman or not, Uchiha?” he shoots back. “Listen to your brother.” Then he grins cheekily. “He did land me.”

Sasuke tugs on his hair painfully, and Naruto flails gawkily.

“Oi, teme! I was joking!”

* * *

And so Itachi takes her to a restaurant for their fourth date. He still refuses to take her to Kotoamatsukami, though, and decides on a decent, five-star one that he likes.

Sakura is wearing the long dark grey dress with the pink flowers around the waist, and the black heels that had given her shoe-bites. Itachi has brought out one of his favourite attires – a black silk shirt, and matching black suit, brown Derbies, and the necklace Sakura gifted him with, which is more or less a permanent accessory now.

Itachi doesn’t sit across from her at the table, but beside her, and explains the menu in low voices, inquiring her tastes and preferences. She takes it in stride, settling on a three-course meal and a bottle of wine. After they place the order, he shows her how to use the silverware, _this is for soup, for main course, for dessert, for spreading butter –_

Halfway through dinner, Sakura tells him about her plans.

“It’s only community college,” she says nervously, almost shyly, “but I think I’d really like to learn. I hadn’t given it a thought before since I wasn’t sure whether I’d … stay. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, about what I want to do. I have enough savings to kick-start a couple of classes, and I can look for a day job. So – yeah. I think I’d like to do that.”

Itachi is staring at her, and he finds it impossible to look away.

“What?” she squirms. “I know it’s not well-thought out. There are still many things to consider, of course. I mean, I’m also too old to go back to school. And I’ve never really attended a formal educational institution, so I have no idea what to expect–”

“Sakura,” he says, feeling a rush of emotions for her. “That’s great. That’s really great.”

She grins uncertainly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nods excitedly. “It is! Have you thought about which classes you want to take? I can help you. Not that you need it, obviously. But I’d be happy to help in any way.”

She laughs softly. “I’m considering a creative writing class for starters. I mean, I’m not very good at it, I know that. And I don’t want to become a novelist or anything. Maybe a column writer, you know? Or in a culture magazine. I’ve been on the road for so long; I think it would help a lot.”

The rest of the dinner passes with them throwing out ideas and discussing her options, and when Itachi kisses her outside her apartment, he tells her how proud he is of her, and how he’s confident that she is more than capable to pull off anything that she wants in life.

* * *

He doesn’t want to, he really doesn’t, but he’s _exhausted_. So he calls her, apologizing, asking if it’s possible to reschedule their date. Sakura assures him that it’s fine, that he should take rest, and she’ll see him later.

Turns out, _later_ meant within the next hour.

Sakura is holding up a bag, “Shisui says hi.”

Itachi stares blankly. “You – you met Shisui?”

Not that she hasn’t met him before. She has, when Sasuke and Naruto had hosted the dinner party, but it was different – Itachi wasn’t dating her back then.

She grins sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. He saw me at the main counter when I was waiting for the parcel, and he came over to talk.”

When they’re eating the dumplings on his couch a little while later, sure enough, Shisui sends him a text.

**Don’t forget to use condoms!**

_Fuck off._

But the text sends his heart stuttering away inside his chest. Is Sakura planning to stay over? Should he suggest it? Is it too soon? If this is a date, then it’s their fifth date, and doesn’t the general dating rule states that sex is a fifth date activity?

And it appears that Sakura is nervous herself, because she keeps fidgeting, breaking out in random babble, averting her gaze at all costs, biting on her lower lip.

They both eat abnormally slowly, uncertain as to what the protocol is once the food is finished. But finish it does eventually, and Itachi ends up blurting out that she is welcome to stay if she’s too tired to go back.

Sakura spoons him from the back, fully clothed, and sings _Firefly_ in his ear.

* * *

“So it’s done? You guys are dating?” Sasuke questions, sitting across from him at Kotoamatsukami.

It’s just the two of them, having a “family dinner” as Naruto calls it. When Sasuke had pointed out that it can hardly be called a family dinner without Fugaku, since Mikoto is no longer a part anyway, Naruto had said that when it’s the three of them, it’s an “Uchiha dinner”.

Itachi nods at his brother in answer.

“Finally,” Sasuke says, half-laughing, half-groaning.

* * *

It takes them a total of nine dates to finally have sex again.

They’re both in the car under her apartment, and Itachi is giving her a goodbye kiss, when it suddenly becomes heated and Sakura climbs on his lap in the space between his body and the wheel.

“Not here,” he pants, breathing heavily, hands trailing up her sides.

“Come up.”

He barely has the time to see around her tiny studio apartment, before Sakura is pushing him on the mattress kept in one corner, tugging off his clothes with hurried fingers.

* * *

“Oh my god, you can’t do that, Itachi!” Sakura is saying loudly, pacing to the television set, hands pulling at her hair in frustration.

“Of course, I can!” Itachi says stubbornly from his place on the couch.

Sakura comes to a stop in front of him, glaring down, hands on hips. “ _No_. For the last time, you _cannot_ buy the goddamn pub _or_ make Kakashi the bouncer _or_ fire Gai!”

“But how else do I make sure that the customers don’t mistake you for a call-girl!” he exclaims incredulously.

She groans loudly, head rolling back. “ _Me_! I will _tell_ them that I’m not!”

“Yeah, that worked out _wonderfully_ , Coco!” he says sarcastically. “Oh, no. Wait. You punched the guy!”

“He was an exception,” she counters just as stubbornly. “I can take care of myself!”

“I know that you can,” he says, feeling hurt that she misunderstood his intentions. “I never said that you can’t. All I’m trying to ensure is that you don’t _need_ to do it in the first place!”

“You can’t go around buying pubs just because I’m facing a little problem!” she says dubiously.

“Of course, I can. I have more than enough money for it.”

“I _know_ that, Your Majesty,” she rolls her eyes as though Itachi is stupid. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Fine,” he glares back. “But I’m not happy with this situation. I hate it that you have to deal with such people. If you just let me buy the stupid place-!”

Sakura straddles him and muffles his mouth with her hand, looking bemused. “That’s my workplace you’re talking about, Pretty Boy. If I were you, I would tread _very_ carefully.”

Itachi’s eyes widen, and he nods hastily.

* * *

“Excuse me?” Sakura stares at him, thoroughly unimpressed.

Itachi frowns, confused at her reaction. He’d just been telling her about his meeting with Kurotsuchi – the granddaughter of Jinton’s President, Onoki. Jinton is one of the larger companies in the hospitality industry, and Shikamaru and Itachi have been trying to strike a business deal with them for weeks now. Tonight, however, Shikamaru had been unable to attend due to an overlapping of schedule, so Itachi decided to meet with Kurotsuchi alone, while Shikamaru dealt with Chojuro, the CEO of Seven Mists, the wealthiest chain of spa parlours in the country presently.

“Let me get this straight,” she continues in the same dry tone. “She called you for a business meeting in one of her hotel rooms, ordered champagne, and went to a bath in the middle of your conversation?”

“Yeah, the bath thing was super weird,” Itachi frowns even more. “But, well, the meeting was successful. She’s agreed to another seating and promised to have Onoki present.”

“Itachi.”

“Yes?”

“I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

Itachi’s mouth falls open. “I _am_ smart! I just had a very successful business meeting! Haven’t you been listening, Coco?”

Sakura finally loses the flat face, and throws up her hands in annoyance. “She was trying to get laid, you idiot! She was seducing you!”

Now that he thinks about it, it seems ridiculous to have missed the signals. He honestly wouldn’t have, really, but the thing is, he wasn’t looking for them in the first place.

“Oh, shit.”

* * *

Itachi knocks on her apartment door, holding a bouquet of flowers as a surprise.

A moment later, he finds himself blinking blankly at a young, burly man wearing a blue hoodie. Itachi throws a quick glance at the numbers, and frowns, because he is definitely at the right apartment.

“Hi?” The man questions as if Itachi has no business there.

“Who are you?”

“Hey, who is it, Dak..on..? What are you doing here?” Sakura stands behind the man. She’s in the middle of tying her hair up.

“Who is this guy?” Itachi asks instead, trying to keep his anger at bay.

“This is Dakon,” she introduces carefully. “He’s come over to study.”

“Hey, wait a second …” Dakon narrows his eyes at Itachi, and Itachi wants to snap at him, because the moron is still standing at the door and Itachi feels stupid, having not been let inside yet. “You’re the Uchiha guy, aren’t you? Which one are you? Sasuke or Itachi? Wait, how do you know Sakura? Shit, why are you holding flowers?”

“Dakon,” Sakura cuts in hurriedly. “Why don’t we wrap up for the day?”

“No, no, no,” the man backtracks, and Itachi finally steps inside, shutting the door behind him. “How do you know this guy? Sakura, he’s an Uchiha!”

Itachi ignores him entirely, walking to Sakura, handing her the bouquet, and leaning down to kiss her long and nice in greeting.

“Oh, shit,” Dakon is staring wide-eyed.

Sakura tries to dismiss the situation, but the man is too excited to listen to her. So Itachi pulls out his phone, dials a familiar number, and holds it to his ear.

“What?” Kakashi barks from the other end. “Let me enjoy my vacation in peace.”

Itachi smirks. “Yeaaaah … no.”

Dakon seems freaked out by Itachi’s sweet smile for the next half an hour, until Kakashi storms inside the apartment, drags the kid away, promising to _explain things nicely_.

“What’s he going to do?” Sakura asks worriedly, chewing down on her lip, in the following silence.

Itachi shrugs mildly. “What he said. Explain things nicely.”

Then he turns to her with this _look_ and Sakura holds her hands in front of her body. He ignores it, and tackles her to the mattress, and she squeals in surprise, until he shuts her up with a kiss, fingers already working on the buttons of her top.

“ _Come over to study?_ ” Itachi says mockingly, palming her breast with one hand, and trailing the other on the inside of her thigh teasingly. “Maybe I should _come over to study_.”

“Fuck,” Sakura half-moans, half-groans, and snakes her hand inside his pants. “Maybe you should. Maybe I could _teach_ you a thing or two?”

* * *

A fight breaks out between them in the Starbucks near Itachi’s office, when they make plans to meet for breakfast.

It begins when Sakura says that she has only half an hour to spare, and Itachi isn’t happy with it, and points out how she barely has time for him these days.

“What do you expect?” she counters with irritation. “Itachi, you know I’m barely scraping by – what with classes and two jobs.”

“I told you that I can help you,” he says for what feels like the hundredth time. “You don’t need to work two jobs, Sakura! I have more than enough money to lend you.”

“And I told _you_ that I don’t want it,” she snarls.

“But you clearly need it!” he groans.

He has already made this offer to her countless of times before, and she keeps refusing it. He thinks that he might know why, because as much as Itachi has been called a proud man in his life, he knows that Sakura is the same.

When they’d both been teenagers, Sakura had made conscious efforts to not show her vulnerabilities, and Itachi remembers her violent threats all too well.

“I don’t,” she says stubbornly. “Just because I’m busy _today_ doesn’t mean I’m always busy! Besides, it’s not as though you’ve given _me_ time, either.”

Itachi feels his anger growing. “I’ve tried my best, you know that. I have work, too, Sakura. It’s not my fault that my meetings happen when they happen! I can’t control it. I have to take the other person’s schedule into consideration.”

Sakura laughs coldly. “Of course! What about taking _my_ schedule into consideration, Your Majesty?”

“I have done that,” Itachi defends. “In fact, that’s all I seem to be doing. That’s what I have _always_ done!”

“If you’re referring to how you used to come to my motel room,” she says dangerously, “then need I remind you that it was just so you could have sex.”

It stings.

“You know it wasn’t just sex,” he says icily. “You can’t throw that in my face.”

She doesn’t back down. “And it’s okay for you to throw my schedule in my face? When you _know_ how important it is for me to be finally doing what I want in life.”

They glare at each other.

It’s been two months since their first date. It’s been one month since Sakura became busy with her community college classes and her day job as a small executive in a travel firm, on top of her night job as a singer at Evening Elephant. At first, it had been fine. Both had been testing the waters, trying to find a rhythm as an actual couple, and the minor setbacks were resolved with creative sex.

However, Itachi finds it unable to let it go this time around, that Sakura is too busy for him now. He doesn’t want to admit it out-loud but it bruises his ego somewhere, despite knowing that it’s unreasonable and very childish of him. Despite knowing that Sakura needs this, needs to sort out her career, her studies. She can’t always be the girl on the streets, easily accessible to him at his uncle’s club or a motel room. She _isn’t_ the girl on the streets anymore, but a young woman with responsibilities towards her own life, different set of priorities, and someone, who – despite all odds – actually _cares_ for him.

So Itachi reminds himself of this, tries to tamp down on his anger, but Sakura is already getting to her feet now, throwing a guarded _I’ll see you later_ at him.

He sees them through the glass walls, and Sakura is walking towards the door, rooting around in her large bag, not paying attention to her surroundings.

“Shit,” he breathes, scrambling up, rushing to where she is, but notes that it’s already too late.

As soon as Sakura steps out on the pavement, she is instantly crowded with blinding cameras and loud voices, asking her questions at a dizzying speed.

“Coco!” Itachi calls out from outside the pap’s circle. “Hey, move it! Coco, hang on!”

Someone notices him, and the entire attention is directed towards him, even as he’s pushing his way through to get to Sakura. She finally sees him through the gap and grabs his hand quickly, looking overwhelmed and relieved at the same time.

They manage to escape to Itachi’s car, and he quickly begins driving away from there.

The air between them is tense and awkward. After their blunder at the pub, when Kakashi had come to help out, this is the first time the media has bothered itself with them. Of course, Itachi knew that it would have happened sooner or later, but he and Sakura haven’t had that conversation yet.

He throws a glance at Sakura. She’s sitting with jaws clenched, hands clasped in her lap, staring straight ahead.

“I’ll …” he eventually breaks the silence. “Should I drop you at college?”

Pause.

“Yes, please.”

So he does. He comes to a stop outside the gate, and Sakura hesitates on her way out, but shuts the door again to face him instead.

“I don’t want to go inside feeling angry,” she admits.

“Neither do I,” he says softly.

“I know we need to really talk about this – about everything.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “Would – do you think you can come over this Sunday?”

She bites her lip, thinking. Sakura typically keeps her off days for catching up on her studies, and Itachi has spent a few of them with her in relative silence.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

They look at each other.

Itachi reaches out and Sakura leans in without much hesitation, and he kisses her long and deep in an unspoken apology, and understands that she’s returning it.

* * *

Itachi realises that he doesn’t need to wait until Sunday, because Sasuke calls him the next morning with an urgent _what did you do?_

A large article is trending on the internet, headlined –

THE WOMAN BEHIND COCO

“Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	19. Chapter 19

“You _idiot_ ,” Naruto is groaning, hiding his face in his hands.

“It was an honest mistake,” Itachi defends. “I didn’t mean to call her that in front of the cameras! It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

Naruto exhales loudly, shaking his head. “Well, what do you want to do now?”

Itachi looks at Sakura. She hasn’t said anything yet since her arrival half an hour ago. When Sasuke had called him on the phone, the first thing Itachi did was call her over to his apartment. Then Sasuke and Naruto had arrived shortly after. Temari, Shikamaru, and Sai join them, claiming _this is too fun to miss out on_. But Shikamaru is the other half of Coco Shelters, and obviously, this affects his professional life, too.

And the thing is, Itachi does feel guilty. Sakura was just getting things in order, they’d finally begun dating, and he had to go ahead and disrupt it with his loud mouth.

When she gives no indication to answer, Sasuke addresses her. He’s leaning against the arm of the couch on which Naruto is perched, hands crossed across his chest, one ankle hooked around the other.

“Sakura.”

His tone makes Itachi wary. Even Sakura looks at him with a careful expression. Now that he thinks about it, Sasuke has never actively sought her out, or seemed much interested in her. He’d always been in her company either for Itachi or Naruto, and Itachi mentally vows to get the two together on more occasions because how ridiculous is it, that _Sasuke_ hasn’t spent time with _Sakura_?

“Itachi is an Uchiha,” he says bluntly. “It doesn’t matter whether you accept it or not.”

“Sasuke–” Itachi cuts in, but Sasuke continues ruthlessly.

“He is an Uchiha, Sakura, and he will always be one. If you want to be with my brother, do not expect it to be a private affair. I never liked how he kept you a secret when we were in school, and I had my suspicions – both Naruto and I did – but at least it kept the attention away from you. It’s not going to be the same anymore.

“When I started dating Naruto, I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew that our relationship has to be a secret for a considerable amount of time, and I accepted it. Because it didn’t matter. What I wanted was to be with him, everything that he comes with. I didn’t have to like it, or enjoy it. It was never going to be easy, or straightforward.

“My brother cares about you. He knows that you’re not used to living this way, in the public eye, having your actions noted down for an open discussion. When my brother built his company, he had already accepted that he might never meet you again. I thought I would never be able to bring myself to forgive you for what you did. My brother might understand your actions, but I’ve seen him through his worst times and you were the reason for it.

“So when you returned, I wasn’t overly pleased, like he was. But you make him happy. And that’s what I care about. You’ve gotten a taste of how it’s going to be like henceforth, if you continue dating him. I’m not going to hold your background against you – but then you can’t do it, either. You’re _not_ allowed to make him feel guilty for naming his company after you, or for wanting to be with you openly. You’re _not_ allowed to string him along, and break his heart again claiming that this isn’t for you, that his world is too different. If you do that, I will _never_ forgive you. My brother might be overly lenient when it comes to you, but please do not mistake me for him.

“Do keep in mind that you’re dating Uchiha Itachi, and it’s not his fault for being it. He’s already paid for his foolish decisions from when he was a teenager – I know that you know it. He’s gone out of his way for you too many times, back then and today, and I hope you don’t forget it that easily.”

Naruto is clutching Sasuke’s hand in his, looking at him the way he always does – the pretty boy who can flatten you single-handedly, all the while painting a _Mona Lisa_ with the other. The brother who stood by Itachi through all the decisions, who silently stared at the ceiling for entire nights with him. The man who can effectively shut up known businessman without blinking a single eye. The boyfriend who can’t openly be a boyfriend after fighting for acceptance in his own house for _years_ and having been subjected to homophobic comments by his own mother.

Sakura doesn’t look away from Sasuke, but holds his eyes steadily, and Itachi thinks that he can _feel_ a tentative mutual understanding stemming between the two of them when she slowly nods her head without denying any of his words.

* * *

The fallout is huge.

Within a week, the news has spread like wildfire that Uchiha Itachi, the CEO of Coco, built the company for the girl with whom he had an affair with during his high school years. Even without Itachi or Sakura, or any of their close friends stepping forward, the media has managed to dig up old social media photos, and Itachi finds himself staring at his own young, teenage face sitting at Kamui with Yahiko and Nagato, while Sakura’s face is clear in the background as she speaks with Hinata and Suigetsu.

Izumi’s video doesn’t escape the onslaught, either. It is now dissected with a fresh perspective, and Sakura reads a few lines from the article one morning as they eat breakfast at his apartment.

“ _…the young Uchiha had clearly already fallen for ‘Coco’ … was he cheating on his girlfriend … Izumi must have been jealous … clearly misunderstood … perhaps the smitten teenager was never a misogynist … why would a misogynist man dedicate …_ Wow. Look, Izumi gave a statement.”

Itachi jerks in surprise. “She did?”

Sakura nods absently, frowning at her phone screen. “Listen – _Itachi was a bad person. He was a bad boyfriend. Maybe he learned his lesson now._ What the actual fuck?”

“Ignore it,” Itachi hastily says, worried about the anger crawling up Sakura’s face.

“No,” Sakura refuses in a fury. “I thought she got help, like you said! Why is she still slandering you? Maybe I should put something in the comment section.”

“Sakura, don’t,” he tries to grab the phone from her hand but she quickly holds it away from his reach. “It’ll only make things worse.”

“How?” she asks stubbornly. “Someone needs to give her another reality check.”

“Think about it,” he says. “If you put anything, many _any_ comment, you’ll be pitied against her. Can you imagine how much they will love a spat between old girlfriend and new girlfriend?”

Sakura’s anger melts away within seconds, and she’s looking at him strangely. “Am I your girlfriend?”

Itachi blinks stupidly. It takes him a few moments to remember the order of things – first date, second date, third date to _dating_ , and dating to _girlfriend_ , and girlfriend to _more_. Sure, they’ve already established that they’re dating, but they’ve never discussed about addressing the other as girlfriend or boyfriend.

Suddenly, the whole prospect seems unnerving in an exciting way. Being able to call himself her boyfriend, the official _commitment_ it inherently comes with, seems like the thing he would definitely enjoy.

“I …”

And Sakura smirks with amusement, and says in a teasing voice, “Would you like to be my boyfriend, Pretty Boy?”

Itachi’s whole body burns red. “Yes. Yes, I’d like that very much.”

* * *

When she visits him at work during one lunch break, it creates quite a buzz on all the floors.

Shikamaru is in the middle of discussing their strategy regarding Kamira – the CEO of Gelel who seems to be fixated on personally bringing down Shikamaru for whatever reasons, when Tobi knocks on the door.

“Uh …” he hesitates. “Sakura is here for you. Should I send her in?”

Itachi jerks in surprise. “Oh. Can you tell her to wait?”

“Okay.”

After the door shuts, Shikamaru raises an eyebrow at Itachi. “Is that wise?”

Itachi has no freaking idea. “Let’s finish this first. I didn’t know she was planning to visit.”

Shikamaru doesn’t drag it, and continues his earlier conversation. However, he wraps it up in fifteen minutes, gets to his feet, and promises to send in Sakura on his way out.

Itachi is waiting by the large window, his jacket draped on his chair, sleeves rolled up. He has another meeting after his lunch and makes a mental note to ask Tobi to get another shirt for him before it has to begin.

“Hey.”

Sakura is wearing a pair of black trousers and a pastel pink blouse, her hair pulled up in a ponytail.

“Hey,” Itachi greets back but doesn’t move from his spot. She frowns, waiting by the chair, clearly discouraged by his lack of excitement at her arrival. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at work.”

Sakura shrugs lightly. “Lunch break. Thought I’d pay you a visit. Although … I’m assuming that it wasn’t exactly a good idea?”

Itachi sighs. “No, I’m sorry. I’m just a little stressed out,” he throws her a weak smile. “A lot of things are happening at the same time.”

Sakura’s shoulders relax and she joins him at the window, wrapping her arms around his waist, head tucked under his chin.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Itachi smirks in her hair. “I can think of a few things.”

Sakura laughs in his chest. “I’m not blowing you off in your office, Your Majesty. Are you looking for another scandal?”

“But you’re my girlfriend. It’d be a surprise if we _don’t_ hook-up in my office.”

“Yeah, right,” she laughs harder. “Come on, I’ll give you a nice shoulder massage. You like stupid stuff like that.”

“It’s not stupid at all,” Itachi argues, but moving to his chair all the same with a new spring in his steps. “Massage has proven to be highly effective in stress release.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sakura dismisses. She starts kneading his muscles with expert fingers.

“Shit. Where did you learn this?”

“Someone taught me.”

The tone is enough is to make Itachi jealous. “I see,” he remarks dryly.

She presses harder. “You want a massage or not, Pretty Boy?”

Pause.

“Yes, please.”

* * *

On the other hand, Sakura takes the whole “public attention” in stride. She continues to work her two jobs, attend her college classes as per routine. She learns how to avoid the pap and even if they do catch her off-guard, how to stay silent and go about her own way. Apparently.

Of course, as Sasuke had said, it’s not easy or straightforward, and Itachi keeps waiting for her to complain about it, but she never does.

So when Fugaku unexpectedly visits Itachi at his apartment, and Sakura is studying on the couch, her books spread out in front of her –

“Do you need me to call Kakashi?” Fugaku asks _her_ , for some reason, and Sakura shakes her head, and that is it.

Fugaku doesn’t question Itachi on his dating life further, and doesn’t point out that Sakura will never understand Itachi’s needs and his way of living –

* * *

Which is highly suspicious.

So Itachi decides to free some time in his schedule and drives down to the travel firm where she works. This is the first time he’d be visiting her at her office, mostly because he couldn’t find the time to do it before and then felt it better to be avoiding it after the articles began. Moreover, he hasn’t bothered reading the news after the first few days, trusting Karui to deal with it to the best of her capacity.

He parks the car around one corner, and steps out in the mild afternoon sun. He’s shed off his suit jacket, and rolls the sleeves to his elbows, sunglasses perched on his nose. There’s a flower shop nearby so he moves towards it, and ends up spending a good ten minutes into choosing the right kind of bouquet.

“Do you want a card with it?”

Itachi hesitates. “Haruno Sakura.” Not Coco.

“From?”

Again, he hesitates. “Love, Uchiha Itachi.” Not Pretty Boy. Not Your Majesty. Not Pinocchio.

Itachi feels this is as real as it gets.

The old man selling the flowers gives him a strange look. Itachi can’t blame him – he feels flushed and hot under the collar, and knows it’s not due to the afternoon sun. He’s never truly given a name to his feelings before. Not that he never tried it, of course, but telling her that he loves her felt unsettlingly inadequate but wholesome all at the same time.

“Don’t worry,” the man assures him. “I’m sure she feels the same. You won’t believe the number of men who bought flowers for her from this place! But you’re the Uchiha boy – I recognize you.”

He pays the man, holds the bouquet as though it’s the most precious thing he’s ever held in his life, and turns the corner –

There are a few people on the pavement, phones in hand, chattering nicely. It’s not the paparazzi, thank god, but the general public. Frowning, he makes his way over, and catches a few snippets of conversations.

“She’s gorgeous!”

“Can’t believe she’s working in such a small place! Itachi could easily hook her up somewhere better.”

“You think this is a publicity stunt? I mean, if you don’t want media attention, I highly doubt you’d go calling someone by your company name.”

“But what about those photos? They’re clearly teenagers in it.”

“Dude, there’s a new video that’s been leaked. It’s some mountain cliff and Itachi is shouting her name. It’s so cool. Here, check it out.”

“The Uchiha brothers sure know how to pick people. One picked a politician and the other picked a regular girl.”

“Her singing is amazing, too! I wonder why she didn’t ask Itachi to launch her singing career, instead.”

Itachi has been wondering about the same, actually.

“I think it’s very romantic. He built a company for her. That’s who I call a real man!”

He’s almost at the glass doors when someone points at him excitedly. “Dude, it’s him! He’s here.”

Itachi is already inside and hopes to all hell that they won’t follow. The receptionist is blushing hard when he asks for Sakura, and she tells him to wait while she calls her. So Itachi takes a seat on the couch in the waiting room beside a young couple who are pouring over one of the brochures for Amsterdam.

“Ita – hey,” Sakura is standing a few feet away, looking at him blankly. “Um… hi.”

He gets to his feet and offers her the bouquet. “Hey. I hope I’m not disturbing.”

“Oh,” she takes the flowers and smiles prettily at him. “It’s okay. Do you want to come to my desk?”

He peers at the receptionist uncertainly.

“It’s okay,” Sakura repeats. “They won’t mind. We don’t really have a strict environment. And I’m not attending to anyone right now.”

She leads him past the reception desk to one of the tables in the back. Itachi feels curious eyes on him the whole way and tries his best not to let it affect him. He starts to wonder if this was a bad idea, whether he’s just made things difficult for her.

Sakura’s desk is cluttered with various pamphlets, one landline, one computer, a pen stand, and odd titbits. Itachi recognises the tinker-bell figurine she’d bought on their first date, and then stops in surprise to see a photograph beside it.

It’s of him and her from the animal shelter. They’re both grinning in the camera, holding a small puppy between them that they’d just bathed, and there are soap bubbles all over their clothes and hands.

It suddenly hits him that this is Sakura building her life, in one place – with him, with a career of her own, working towards a goal through her community college classes, and dealing with Itachi’s lifestyle, the media attention, the people outside on the pavement dissecting her choices, her feelings, her relationship as though they have any right to do it, all at the same time. Something inside his chest squeezes.

“You can sit,” Sakura offers, oblivious to his thudding heart, and clears out a space on her desk for the flowers. “Do you want coffee? We have a machine in the back. It’s not half bad, actually. Nothing like the fancy coffee from Starbucks that you love, of course. Have you eaten? I can take a short break, if you want to grab a bite. The café down the block is good. Shizune and I enjoy their burgers.”

“Sakura.”

She halts and looks at him. “Yeah? What’s wrong? You look … pale. Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”

Itachi shakes his head. “No. No, I’m okay. Just – you know I’m proud of you, right? I know it’s not my place to say it or anything, as though you need me to validate stuff. But I am. Really. And I – I feel honoured to be with you. I hope you know that.”

Sakura smiles, a genuine one, not the teasing kind she typically saves for him.

* * *

Later that evening, she comes to his apartment, pushing him to the bedroom, and Itachi takes his sweet little time with her, and she doesn’t complain, doesn’t hurry, matches the pace, and cries softly in his neck –

“I love you, too.”

* * *

Itachi and Sakura are at Sasuke and Naruto’s apartment for a movie night when the doorbell rings. Naruto gets up to open the door, and Itachi hits pause on the screen.

Suigetsu marches inside, straight towards Sasuke, straddles him, squeezes his face between his hands, looking highly distressed and close to panicking.

“Hey!” Naruto protests, trying to pry him away from his partner.

Suigetsu shrugs off his hand. “Not now, Namikaze! Sasuke. I fucked up. Shit, I fucked up _so bad_.”

Sasuke heaves a long-suffering sigh. “I know.”

“What?” Suigetsu stares. “What do you know?”

Naruto plops back down beside them, his arm resting behind Sasuke on the couch.

“Hinata already called me earlier,” Sasuke replies.

Suigetsu wails. “What am I going to do? Shit. This is bad. Karin is going to kill me. I’m not kidding. She really will. Oh my god, Namikaze, you’re going to lose me. Just when we were so close to passing our bill!”

“Looks like you were right,” Itachi comments dryly.

Sakura grins. “Told you.”

Suigetsu explains in unnecessary detail how he was having a casual, friendly dinner with Hinata, but then she told him how she doesn’t feel entirely happy with Kiba. Kiba is a great guy, she said, but she misses the luxurious lifestyle, the freedom of wanting expensive things unapologetically. And Suigetsu swears that he was only trying to comfort her, nothing else, when he suggested that they take a walk – except that the walk turned into a minor groping session in a dark alley.

“Do you like her?” Naruto asks directly. “Hinata. Do you like her?”

Suigetsu falters. “I – I think that I will always like her,” he says with uncharacteristic seriousness. “At least, a part of me will. She is the first person I ever loved. It’s not easy to get over that, no matter how old you become.”

Itachi feels Sakura’s fingers interlace with his and he squeezes back.

“Do you want to be with her?” Sasuke continues Naruto’s line of interrogation.

Again, Suigetsu falters. “I don’t know. I mean, being with her is what I had dreamed of for so long, but it’s been _years_. I don’t even know if Hinata likes me. Maybe it was simply a slip of judgement from her. I don’t know whether I want to risk my relationship with Karin for a flimsy hope of a teenage dream.”

As he says it, he seems to realise the company he’s sought out for his predicament. One brother – who is holding hands with his teenage affair, and the other brother – who secretly crushed on Naruto for years without saying a single word.

And it suddenly seems funny – the whole thing – and he laughs so loudly that he topples off Sasuke’s body, and the other four avoid each other’s eyes.

* * *

He doesn’t. He apologizes to Karin, and it takes her a good amount of time to forgive him.

Hinata does the same with Kiba. She did mean what she’d said to Suigetsu, but her complaint seems to be more of an outcome of an old habit of wanting Suigetsu in that teenage-love kind of way, and she assures Kiba that it has made her appreciate him even more.

* * *

It takes two months for the media to die down after Itachi’s blunder – at least for the time being. He avoids giving interviews on the matter, and Sakura is eventually left alone, too.

On the other hand, Sasuke ends up at Itachi’s apartment with Kitsune and a suitcase.

Itachi doesn’t question. Merely says that the bed is large enough to accommodate the two.

On the first night of Sasuke’s stay, Itachi mixes a drink for them and they sit on the deck in companionable silence, talking about work, about Sakura, about Shikamaru and about Temari, about Sai, about Obito and Kakashi, about Shisui, about Kimimaro, about every topic under the sun just to avoid talking about Naruto.

On the second night, Itachi finds his brother on the deck again, crying softly, holding the phone close to his face, speaking with the blonde.

On the third night, he finally asks him what happened.

Sasuke stares out at the city. “He thinks that it would make my life difficult, put me in danger. It’s already delicate enough that he’s a politician, so me being a businessman isn’t exactly compatible. I’m fine with hiding and everything, but he’s too stubborn to see that. He keeps insisting that I shouldn’t have to make such a sacrifice for his sake.”

“Why now?” Itachi queries. “After all this time – why now?”

Sasuke takes a few moments to answer. “It’s not the first time. We’ve had this conversation too many times already, but it had always ended the same: postponing dealing with it. We kept convincing ourselves that it’s just another few months, one more month, any day now, but with the way things are going … we don’t know how long it will truly take.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you two…?”

“I don’t know.”

He offers him the glass he’s holding. “Drink up.”

So Sasuke does.

* * *

Sakura tells Itachi two days later that Naruto isn’t faring all that well, either.

“I don’t get it,” Itachi says with irritation. “I know that they want to stay together. Separating themselves isn’t going to help anyone.”

“Naruto thinks it’ll make Sasuke’s life better,” Sakura tells him.

“How, exactly?”

“He’s facing a lot of negativity from the public these days. His bill for the refugee camps is highly controversial as it is, and it is garnering attention from the other countries, too. He wants to keep Sasuke out of the crossfire, since it’ll be very easy to target him to force Naruto’s hand by the other parties. It’s not a pretty picture from his side.”

“But he knew that already,” Itachi counters. “Which is why they hid it, right?”

“Yeah, and do you see what happened? You said it yourself – Naruto isn’t excused. They already doubt his relationship with Sasuke. Do you think they’re going to wait for confirmation before going after your brother?”

“What does Naruto want now?” Itachi asks bluntly. “Break-up forever?”

Sakura’s face softens at his anger. “I don’t think so,” she says. “I think he just needs to find his footing again. Become confident that Sasuke won’t be in any danger due to his work.”

Itachi doesn’t respond.

* * *

“I don’t know whose side to pick,” Shikamaru states dryly over lunch.

Temari and Sakura have joined the three men, and they’re sitting in one of the restaurants near their office.

“There is no side to pick,” Sakura argues. “They haven’t broke-up.”

“They’re not exactly together, either,” Temari points out.

“It’s just a break,” Sakura continues stubbornly. “They’ll be back in no time.”

“You’re way too optimistic for life,” Shikamaru groans.

Itachi throws his arm on the back of her chair. “Nothing wrong with that.”

Temari, Shikamaru, and Sai stare at him.

Itachi frowns. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you … Itachi?” Sai blinks.

Sakura pulls him in for a kiss.

* * *

A week after Sasuke’s break-up-not-break-up with Naruto, Itachi is alone with Sakura for the first time in his apartment. Sasuke is out for a late meeting, and Itachi wastes no time in shedding Sakura’s clothes, not bothering to reach his bedroom.

He bends her over the dining table, pounding roughly, and Sakura matches his thrusts, moaning out his name.

“I think you enjoy the forbidden ones a little too much,” she laughs later, straddling his hips as he sits on the dining chair.

“I’m not the only one,” Itachi says pointedly, fingers digging in her hips as she rides him at a steady pace.

“What else have you imagined, Pretty Boy?” she teases back. “Maybe doing it in the bathroom as Kaya cleans out the bedroom? Maybe out on the deck in the middle of the night?”

“Now that you say it…”

It’s not the middle of the night, but it’s dark enough. Itachi holds her against the wall, her legs wrapped around his hips, and feels another rush of pure affection for her, because this is not about doing it on the deck, or at the dining table, or the chair, or the bathroom, but about Sakura being as unapologetic as him when it comes to sex, and about feeling utterly safe to be himself when it comes to this woman.

So he murmurs _I love you_ in her ear, and she says it back –

And he finally feels ready to let go of the fear that Sakura might leave him one day, the way she did on that night, when he’d been ready to spell it out to her, and then found it unable to do so for the next ten years.

* * *

“No, don’t,” Sakura almost begs. “What do you want me to say to him?”

“Anything,” Itachi hisses back. “Just spend some quality time together.”

“This is a bad idea.”

“Pretend it’s me,” Itachi suggests. “That can’t be too hard.”

Sakura raises one pointed eyebrow in return. “Shall I strip down for him, too?”

He leaves the apartment with a meaningful look and an encouraging kiss.

* * *

When he returns from signing a ballet performance, Sakura and Sasuke are in the living room, holding mugs, laughing loudly.

“What are you talking about?” Itachi asks with a grin, plopping down beside Sasuke. The plan obviously worked.

Sakura laughs harder. “He was just telling me about the time when you switched places and went to each other’s classes.”

Itachi feels his cheeks warm from sheer humiliation.

It was when Sasuke and him were nine years old, and the differences between them were not that perceptible. Itachi hadn’t developed such pronounced tear-troughs, and the length of their hair was the same. Again, it was Sasuke’s idea. He suggested how fantastic it would be if Itachi went for his karate class and Sasuke went for his ballet.

And Itachi spent the entire time running away from blows and kicks, and Sasuke spent his stumbling and almost hitting the others with his flailing arms.

Sasuke proceeds to tell Sakura about the time when Yahiko had tried to scare Sasuke by jumping on him the way he would do to Itachi, and got his ass beaten up because Sasuke had no problems with kicking the shit out of him out of pure reflex.

And then about the time when Itachi tried to prank Sasuke by sending a boy from their school to hit on him, and the plan backfired because it made Sasuke realise that he _was_ into guys, anyway.

And then about the time when Kisame suggested that they hit the beach one day, and Sasuke and Itachi mixed drinks in the juices without telling anyone. Which ended up with Zetsu almost drowning in the water when the alcohol hit him at the worst time possible.

And Sakura tells Sasuke about all the dumb things she had encountered on the road, and the time when she tried to milk Kankuro The Goat and got kicked straight in the face.

* * *

Sasuke becomes the official COO of Tsukuyomi the same day that Itachi is in the middle of a photoshoot for one of the business magazines, and Tobi comes hurrying forward with the phone, interrupting the photographer, wide-eyed –

“Naruto is in the hospital.”

* * *

When Itachi enters the hospital lobby, Sasuke is sitting on the bench, hunched over, staring at the floor.

“Sasuke.”

“They said family only.”

So Itachi sits with him in equal silence, and watches as Sakura, Temari, Shikamaru, Sai, Bee, Gaara, Kiba, Chouji, Hinata, Suigetsu, Yagura, Han, Roushi, Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, Shino slowly fill up the waiting area seats.

All Itachi knows is what everyone knows – the video replaying over and over on the television, of Naruto standing on the stage, in the middle of his speech, and then he’s not standing anymore.

Minato comes out after two hours looking haggard and stressed, seems to pause at the crowd in surprise, and then zeroes in Sasuke as the latter shoots up from the bench, pale and trembling and mute. Minato holds his gaze for a few moments before going over to the reception desk, talking in hushed voices, and then returning –

“I can take only two people with me.”

When Sasuke doesn’t move a muscle, Itachi grabs his hand, leading him forward. They follow Minato through the hallway, up the elevator, to one of the VIP rooms, and Asuma and Fuu are standing outside. Minato pauses with one hand on the door, smiling tiredly.

“He’s okay,” he says. “I wasn’t allowed to tell you that before. But he’s okay. The bullet missed the vital spots, so he’s fine now–”

Sasuke doesn’t wait for more and pushes past him.

The room is large and spacious, and Naruto is lying on the white bed in the middle of it, propped up, with a few tubes and wires sticking out of him. Kushina is on the couch, reading a newspaper. The nurse is adjusting the IV in his arm, and Minato asks her to give them privacy. As soon as she’s out the door, Naruto positively beams at Sasuke, and Sasuke marches forward, shaking still.

“You _utter moron_ ,” Sasuke says in a shaky voice, hissing lowly. “Are you _trying_ to make my life difficult? Who the fuck gave you permission to get _shot_?”

“Sasuke–” Minato cuts in nervously, and Naruto loses his grin.

Sasuke ignores him. “Do you think that you can just suggest a break-up and then _die_ on me? Do you think that I will _ever_ forgive you for pulling off something like this? You wanted me to move on and find someone I can be with openly? _Fine_. I think I will actually go do that–”

“Sasuke–” Naruto tries to interrupt.

Sasuke ignores him. “I will go out right now, find a date, have a _nice fucking_ time, and then put it on the internet, because you’re right. I _shouldn’t_ be with you. I shouldn’t be with someone who is such an annoying pain in the ass and a complete _fool_. Just you wait. The moment you’re out of here, I’m going to fucking beat you in a _bloody_ _pulp_ –”

“Marry me.”

Sasuke shuts up.

Itachi exchanges a blank look with Minato and Kushina.

There is complete silence in the room other than the heart monitor going _beep beep beep beep_ steadily, and Itachi finds the sound rather ironic, because Sasuke looks dead on his feet, paler than a ghost.

“What?” he breathes out eventually after forever. “What did you say?”

“Marry me,” Naruto repeats calmly.

“Are you serious?”

“I’ll work harder to make them listen to me,” Naruto says. “But not at the cost of losing you. What’s the point of becoming the Governor or whatever if it means not having you?”

“What happened to people above all?” Sasuke asks in a pained voice. “Naruto – you can’t. This is your dream. I’m not going to let you ruin it.”

“Who said it’ll be ruined?” Naruto counters. “I’m still going to achieve it. But I want to do it with you by my side. Sasuke, you’re not meant to be kept hidden like a dirty secret. You’re the love of my life, babe, and I’ve hurt you so much already. I can’t do that anymore. Besides, I’m selfish, remember? I want an ideal world. I want you _and_ the people. And if there ever comes a choice, I will need you with me to win them back.

“Marry me, Sasuke.”

Sasuke doesn’t respond immediately, and when he does, his voice isn’t right. “Are you-! Are you trying to make me your widower, dobe?”

Naruto finally cracks a small smile, his eyes turning soft, and he extends an arm towards Sasuke imploringly. “Trust you to point out the cons of a marriage proposal, teme.”

Sasuke takes some more time to answer. “Fine. Yes. I’ll become your fucking widower.”

And then he climbs on the bed, head in Naruto’s neck, still trembling, and Naruto holds him without complaint, ignoring the stitches and the wires and the tubes, ignoring the hospital rules, and Itachi can’t really blame them.

Because, honestly, some rules _really_ don’t make sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE CYCLE IS 24 HOURS! :)


	20. Chapter 20

The next day, people don’t know which news to focus on so Itachi finds them all mixed up in a dizzying order on his phone screen and the television –

_UCHIHA SASUKE – THE NEW COO OF TSUKUYOMI_

_NAMIKAZE NARUTO IS SAFE AND IN RECOVERY_

_THE FUTURE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES HIS ENGAGEMENT WITH TSUKUYOMI HEIR_

_NAMIKAZE NARUTO GETS SHOT ON STAGE_

_UCHIHA SASUKE AND NAMIKAZE NARUTO POSE IN HOSPITAL BED_

_ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON NAMIKAZE NARUTO_

_UCHIHA SASUKE ON THE RISE TO BECOME THE NEXT CEO OF TSUKUYOMI_

_A WOMAN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR QUESTIONING_

_COCO SHELTERS’ TRIBUTE TO BROTHER AND HIS FIANCE_

_IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA?_

_POLITICIAN NAMIKAZE ENGAGED WITH BUSINESSMAN UCHIHA_

The list goes on and on and on.

On television, the same video clip keeps replaying of Naruto getting shot and then switches to his engagement announcement on the social media.

Itachi’s team is mildly annoyed by him at the moment, as if it’s his fault that Naruto proposed to Sasuke, and Sasuke agreed, and now Itachi has to show his support to the new couple by switching to the rainbow themed background for all visible advertisements, the silhouette of the fox in the corner now holding hands with the silhouette of a cat, and throwing a party on Susano’o in their honour once Naruto fully recovers.

Which gives him enough time to try and convince Sakura for a shopping spree.

“I _do_ want to look the part,” she says, biting her lips uncertainly. “But I can’t have you spending so much on me, Itachi.”

“Too late, _Coco_ ,” Itachi smirks meaningfully. “Just come with me. Once. I promise you that you will like it.”

“That’s not the point,” she insists.

“What will you do if we get married?” he counters without thinking. “Will you still refuse me wanting to buy you things? Besides, look at it this way – doing this will make me happy. So it won’t be about you, but _me_. Now, what do you say?”

Sakura stares at him. “Did you just talk about marriage so casually?”

A few beats of silence. “I said _if_ ,” he recovers. “ _If_ we get married one day, we will obviously join our assets, won’t we? Which makes everything that I own yours, and everything that you own mine.”

“I thought you’ll just ask for a prenup.”

And Itachi grins so wide, his cheeks hurt. “So you have thought about it.”

Sakura’s face warms up so that her cheeks match her hair. “Just, you know. In passing. _Anyway_ , fine. Let’s go for shopping. I suppose I should start accepting that my boyfriend is a rich man who loves to spend money.”

“Your boyfriend is a rich man who loves to spend money _on you_ ,” Itachi corrects her.

Sakura rolls her eyes. “Yeah, right,” she says sarcastically, already knowing his tendency to get carried away with Sasuke and his grand schemes. “Come on, let’s go. Spoil me senseless. This might be my only chance to have champagne while selecting a cocktail dress.”

* * *

After breakfast, Itachi drives them both to the upscale shopping district in the city. He suggested visiting Paris, but she put her foot down. He finds a parking spot fairly easily, and once they step out, he turns to her with an excited grin.

“Pick one. We’ll start from there.”

Sakura stares. “What do you mean _start_ there? I thought we’re only going to one shop, pick one dress, and that’s it.”

Itachi laughs openly. “Sakura, please do not underestimate me.”

She purses her lips and points at a random one. “That.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” he instantly refutes. “Not like this. We’re going to do it the right way. Ignore the brand names, and focus on the mannequins on display. Now – pick one.”

Sakura takes a few moments, peering at the shops behind them and across the street. Itachi watches her quietly, finding the play of emotions on her face rather fascinating. He knows that she must be feeling a little out of her comfort zone, but this is Itachi in his element. He can’t downplay it. Sakura needs to witness this side of him, too, after all.

She finally points to one across the street, and Itachi grabs her hand, pulling her forward.

As they cross, Sakura says to him, “Why don’t you just order online? Everyone does that now.”

“I hate doing that,” he replies honestly. “I love visiting the shops in person. That way, I can check the quality and fabric and texture and fitting and everything for myself. I know I can just easily order from the official websites, but it doesn’t feel right. I’ll show you what I mean.”

When they enter the shop, they’re greeted by a salesman’s smiling face as he “discreetly” looks them up and down, trying to figure out whether they’re the kind of customers who are capable of buying from the shop, until the manager steps out from behind the counter and shakes Itachi’s hand.

“Mr. Uchiha! Great seeing you, as always,” he smiles. “Forgive him – he’s new. I see you have a gorgeous lady with you today. Forgive me, but is this Miss Haruno?”

Sakura’s fingers tighten around his, and she nods, highly uncomfortable. “Yes, that’s me. Hi.”

“Please take a seat,” he invites smoothly. “Would you like a glass of champagne?”

Sakura looks at Itachi uncertainly.

“Yes,” Itachi answers. “That would be great.”

Only after they’re both made comfortable with a glass each does the salesman asks them if they’re looking for anything in particular. Before Sakura can reply, Itachi beats her to it, knowing very well that she’ll just ask for a dress and that would be it.

“Why don’t we begin with some outfits for a formal event?”

“Of course!”

As soon as he disappears to gather merchandise, Itachi turns to Sakura to speak lowly in her ear. “Kakashi hated coming with me. He would make this irritating noise every half an hour, as if he’s a human clock.”

Sakura chuckles. “What did you do then?”

“Ignored him, obviously.”

She shakes her head. “Obviously.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” he says. “I like the man, and he’s obviously been there for me and I appreciate it. But I was a teenager that time, and I’ve always enjoyed shopping. Kakashi is a born and bred soldier. He dislikes everything that he deems as unnecessary. Shopping with a rich kid is definitely in Top 10 of that list.”

“It’s not like I hate shopping,” Sakura explains. “I love it. I mean, you must remember all the stuff I bought at that open market we went to. When it comes to clothes, I’ve always had to stick to a budget, you know? Whenever my Mama would take me shopping, it would be to this nearby flea market, and I would buy within the limit, such as, replacing a skirt that’s become too faded now, or deciding to have three pairs of shorts and that’s it.”

“So you never went out of budget?” Itachi asks with wonder.

She shrugs. “A few times, when I really liked something and I wouldn’t listen to reason. And then when I first started earning money, I thought I’d be able to buy all kinds of stuff,” she laughs that is both sarcastic and genuine. “Of course, I realised soon that I’d rather eat than buy clothes.”

That explains her tattered clothes the first time Itachi had seen her, when she’d stopped the thief from stealing his phone. It wasn’t that she wasn’t doing anything to survive, Itachi had simply been oblivious to the Necessity vs Luxury scale.

The salesman arrives with one rack of dresses, another of tops, another of bottom wear.

“Well, that’s not how we’re doing today,” Itachi says in her ear. “No budget, no limits, no replacing. We can begin with exploring your tastes and preferences, and he will bring out more racks accordingly, yeah?”

Sakura’s fingers are slightly trembling, and Itachi knows this because the half-filled champagne is sloshing slightly on the insides of the glass. He takes it from her under the pretence of helping her out with freeing her hands, and Sakura throws him a grateful smile in return. The salesman proceeds to pull out each outfit to hold it up for her, explaining the material, the style, the various ways it can be worn, and Itachi can see that Sakura is a little overwhelmed, so he keeps cutting in with questions of his own so that the salesman can focus on Itachi, too.

Sakura ends up liking majority of the things. Itachi doesn’t waste a second in teasing her about it, and offers to buy her an entire wardrobe.

“Absolutely not. All I said was that I like these clothes, not that I want to buy them.”

“Why wouldn’t you buy them if you like them?” he asks, thoroughly confused by her reasoning.

“Because this is only the first shop, isn’t it?” she says. “What if I like something better in the third or the fourth?”

“Then buy them all.”

“Itachi.”

“Sakura.”

“No.”

Pause.

“Fine. At least try a couple of them. We need to check the fitting, too.”

“Is it important?” she frowns. “They look like they’ll fit just fine.”

Itachi stares. “Fitting is _everything_. Just because it _looks_ like it will, doesn’t mean that it will.”

“Fine, fine, Your Majesty. Which one should I try first?”

“Take your pick.”

Sakura comes out of the dressing room wearing a plain long strapless black dress with a cinched waist. “How’s it?”

Itachi walks to her, towering over her frame, and traces the skin on top of her cleavage with light fingers. “Tempting.”

This close, he sees the goosebumps clearly on her upper arms. It makes him light from inside out.

Sakura catches his wandering fingers. “Focus.”

He flushes the full length of his body against hers, leaning down to speak in her ear. “I promise you, the more clothes you try on, the better I’m going to fuck you tonight.”

Sakura’s breathing turns heavy and he feels it on his own chest. “I should have figured it sooner that this is a fetish.”

Itachi laughs softly, neither affirming nor denying her words.

* * *

In the second shop, Sakura is telling him about her friends from college and work as they browse through the racks themselves.

“Shizune has this young son of six. He came with her the other day, and wreaked havoc in the office. I’m not kidding. First, he threw out all the coffee cups, so Shizune had to go out and buy some more. By the time she returned, he had already messed up her filing cabinet. Then he spent the rest of the day troubling everyone with stupid things.”

“Do you like kids?” Itachi asks her, realising that he has no idea about it whatsoever. He picks out a red top that he likes and turns to her with it.

Sakura is already holding onto a green shrug. “I’m not sure, actually. It feels like a foreign idea.”

Itachi returns the red top to the rack, finding the shade incompatible with her hair. “Why? Have you never thought about having kids?”

Sakura’s cheeks puff out, one hand on hip, now looking at him, thinking over her answer. “Not really. I guess I just never had the chance? I mean, it would mean settling down, isn’t it?”

Itachi gives up on his task, returning her gaze. “Did you never consider settling down when you were on the road?”

She bites down on her lip. “I did consider,” she says slowly. “A few times. I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not?”

Sakura shrugs lightly, as though it’s not a big deal. “Wouldn’t that go against my idea of running away? Settling down would have meant creating bonds, and that would have meant getting hurt all over again. The idea was daunting.”

They look at each other.

* * *

In the third shop, Itachi is explaining his parents’ divorce.

“It did come as a shock,” he says as Sakura tries on different footwear. “Sasuke and I assumed that despite Dad supporting him, it didn’t automatically mean that he’s turned against Mom.”

“Why exactly did they separate?” She turns her ankles left and right. “I think the heel is too narrow. Can I see the red one over there, please?”

“It wasn’t just one thing,” Itachi answers, helping her with the strap of the red one. “Okay so the thing is – technically, Mom isn’t an Uchiha, right? I don’t mean the social status or anything. Just that she grew up in a different environment. And I realised over the years that pride doesn’t always mean just one thing. That there are different kinds of it. Uchihas are proud, yes, but if you look at Obito or Shisui or Naori – keeping aside my Dad – or even my Great Uncle Madara, they’re not really _stuck-up_ , I guess? I mean, they’re not very rigid in their thinking. Mom is. It took me some time myself to see what the family name actually stands for. For a long time, I had this twisted idea of it, and I blamed my parents for it. Hang on – this will scuff easily. Pick another.”

Sakura asks for a golden one down the rack. “You were saying?”

“Right. So eventually I learned how to differentiate between a stuck-up proud Uchiha and the – whatever Sasuke and I are today. I realised that having money doesn’t have to be this evil thing. It’s not as though my ancestors stole it or anything. They worked hard, so of course they get to be proud of it. It doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.”

“So your Mom didn’t fit within this idea?”

“Yeah. She thought the family name automatically warranted some sort of _right_ over the others, you know? Which is what I inculcated within myself. And it wasn’t just Mom. My Dad’s lack of correcting her ended up reinforcing that belief. Until he finally decided that they’re just too incompatible to be staying together.”

Sakura studies the display to her right, frowning in concentration. “How about this one?”

Itachi joins her with his own pair of silver flats. “Try it on. Here, this one, too. I’m not too sure how open-toed will look on you.”

When she tries it on, Itachi stares at her feet. “We need to get you a pedicure.”

And Sakura laughs, nudging him lightly in the chest. “They’re not that bad.”

“Trust me. You’ll love it. We can get the fish one for you. You like stupid stuff like that.”

Sakura purses her lips. “How did your parents meet, anyway?”

“In college. They never told us the details. We weren’t like the Namikazes,” he snorts, and then explains to Sakura. “When Sasuke was officially introduced to Minato and Kushina as Naruto’s boyfriend, they spent the whole dinner relaying their own love story quite elaborately. What about your parents?”

Sakura sighs and smiles at the same time. “Apparently, Papa chased her for two years before she agreed to go on a date. They met in high school. Married at twenty-two. Had me at twenty-four.”

And Itachi teases her. “You should follow their example, Sakura. You’re past the marriage age already. How rude of you.”

Sakura doesn’t back down herself. “Why, Your Majesty? Is this your way of prepping me for a jewellery store at the end of this spree?”

“You’re imagining things. I blame Namikaze. His proposal to my brother has given you wild ideas, Sakura.”

He steps away before her fist reaches him.

* * *

When they stop at a restaurant for lunch, Itachi asks her about her colleagues from the pub, and whether she’s aware that they like hitting on her.

Sakura giggles. “I know. But it’s so harmless, it doesn’t bother me. Besides, you haven’t been to the pub recently. Now that they know we’re dating, they’re too scared to flirt.”

Itachi raises his sparkling water in a toast. “To one good thing that came out of the pap.”

Sakura clinks her glass with his. “Although, I would have told them eventually, anyway.”

Itachi’s chest warms.

“Okay, here’s what I want to know,” she continues. “And don’t tease me, alright? But what’s the deal with Temari and Shika? Aren’t they … you know, thinking of getting married?”

Itachi laughs. “Actually, Temari is planning to propose soon.”

Sakura’s mouth falls open. “She is? That’s so great!”

“I know, right? About time, too. She said she might do it on his birthday.”

“Wow, two marriages coming up,” Sakura says happily.

“Sai is going to feel so left out,” Itachi laughs harder. “He already keeps complaining about being the odd wheel in every situation.”

“Oh, come on. He’ll meet someone soon.”

“See, that’s the thing. Sai doesn’t care. I mean, he won’t run away from someone, but he doesn’t bother actively seeking anyone out, either. To be honest, I find it difficult to picture him with a girl.”

Sakura merely shakes her head. “Well, what about Konan? Has she met anyone new?”

Itachi shrugs. “Not yet. She’ll be fine, though. She’s very tough. Just two days ago, she told me that Yahiko has been trying to patch things up with her. Asking to hang out. Friendly stuff.”

“Yeah? Is she going to accept?”

“Maybe? I’m not sure. Nagato is trying the same. Personally, I’d like it if things were to go back to how they used to be – but now, there’s too much history. Let’s see. Maybe they’ll pull through. We did grow up together. That’s hard to move on from. I also kinda wish Zetsu had stayed. But that’s alright, too. He’s happy living in the mountains.”

Sakura watches him carefully. “Do you miss Kisame?”

Itachi sighs, playing with his food a little. “Sometimes,” he admits guiltily. “Kisame couldn’t see past the class difference, but then again, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to, either, if I’d never met you or befriended Naruto. He had his moments, though. He did care for us all. I suppose we became too incompatible, like Mom and Dad. I’m not saying that he was right, but he proved himself capable of loving Izumi – I think that counts for something.”

“Do you think that you’d ever … meet him again?”

Itachi exhales out a puff of air, and looks at Sakura. She’s still watching him carefully, and a little sympathetically now. “Nah. Sasuke once said to me that we’re not unilateral. I can miss Kisame’s friendship without wanting it back again.”

“Cheers to that.”

* * *

Itachi convinces Sakura to visit the salon, and books the mani-pedi, hair spa, and facial for the two of them.

“You left out massage,” Sakura says sarcastically as they’re led to get their hair done first.

“I didn’t,” Itachi smirks back. “I’ve booked it for later tonight.”

Sakura rolls her eyes, but squeezes his waist lightly, a secretive smile pulled at her lips, and Itachi thinks of melting trees.

“What about your friends?” Itachi asks her, smiling at the way she keeps giggling as the fish clean out her feet. It’s one of her ticklish spots, so he isn’t all that surprised.

“I think we’re treading dangerous territory.”

“Why?”

“They’re your employees. I don’t want to spill dirt on them.”

“Fair enough.”

* * *

It’s seven in the evening, and Itachi promises it’s the last shop.

“So,” Sakura says casually from the dressing room as Itachi waits outside. “You never mentioned if you liked kids.”

Itachi thinks over his answer. “I usually just end up making comments in my head, you know? For instance, the other day, I saw this family in passing. The kid was crying and the mother was trying to calm him down, and the father was on his phone. And I just thought to myself – if I ever have a kid, I wouldn’t be on the phone if he’s crying.”

“What about Sasuke and Naruto? Do you think they’ll have kids?”

Itachi laughs. “Totally. Naruto wants a girl that he can spoil, and Sasuke always argues that she’ll need a sibling.”

Sakura steps out wearing a glittering blue dress. “This feels too much.”

“A little. But it’s good. You can wear it to the pub.”

She smirks. “ _Did Itachi buy that dress for you?_ ”

Itachi wraps his arms around her, and nuzzles her hair. “Absolutely.”

* * *

As soon as they enter his apartment, Itachi takes the bags from her and throws them unceremoniously on the couch before taking a seat himself.

Sakura is removing her top already, and Itachi tugs her forward, and she straddles him, kissing deeply.

“Have you had your fill?” she asks in his mouth.

“Never.”

* * *

After dinner, when Sakura suggests building a fort from blankets, Itachi merely shows her to the closet.

They grab everything – comforters, quilts, blankets, bedsheets, pillows, and drape them in the living room using the couch, armchair, and dining chairs for support.

And as Itachi watches Beauty and the Beast on the laptop, wrapped around Sakura, kissing her shoulder, her cheeks, her nose, bathed in the soft yellow fairy lights, he knows that there is a long way to go, that there are many more things to discuss, such as why Sakura doesn’t want a full-fledged singing career despite her Papa having once said that she’d be very famous, or why Itachi still can’t play the piano, or whether Sakura ever loved someone while on the road, or whether they’d move in soon or in a few years, or how Itachi wants to buy one of the suburban houses on the street where Geroa trailer park used to be so that Sakura can always retain a piece of her childhood home, or how Itachi still hasn’t met her friends as the official boyfriend yet –

So, yes, he knows that there are many more things to come, many more arguments to have, many more struggles to endure, but he feels that this moment, right here – as he sings softly in her ear the song that Belle and the Beast are dancing to – is enough for now.

**THE END**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are.
> 
> Thank you each and every person who read the story, wrote those amazing feedbacks, and shown such great encouragement and support and love to me and the characters. It’s been a huge pleasure and an honour writing for you all. :’)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this roller coaster of a journey. I absolutely loved writing it.
> 
> Much love and always,
> 
> StarsAndCrows
> 
> P.S.: Even though the story is over, I promise I’d be reading every single review! <3

**Author's Note:**

> The update cycle is 48 hours. :)


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